Terminus
by Sanluris
Summary: Part two of Howling Innocence. Allen became an exorcist with one goal in mind. It's been two years since then and defeating the Earl seems like an impossibility. But when he and his friends discover the coveted Heart, Allen's goal comes into reach.
1. Poison

**Hi there. This isn't a completely new story, so starting to read here will probably be confusing. This story is the second part of my story called Howling Innocence. I decided to start a new story for it since there were a lot of chapters in the main story. The second part will, I think, be the end of this FanFiction. I picked a different name for it because I felt like the story had outgrown the name "Howling Innocence". At the beginning I named the story with Shiori in mind, but as I wrote I focused on a lot of other characters, so I picked a name that could describe everyone and not just her since, even though she's a new protagonist, she isn't the most important. Hope you keep reading the story and I hope you like it!  
>I don't own the characters, except the ones I make, and the storyline, ideas, and names aren't mine.<br>I might remove some chapters from the first part of this story and put them in the second part so anyone who wants to read the story over, or start reading it, won't have to have a big load of chapters to sort through. That is my idea anyway.  
>So, instead of this chapter being chapter 48, it's chapter one of Howling Innocence (now called Terminus), part two. <strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter One - Poison<strong>

The following day in the early evening Lavi, Allen, Kanda, Kisho, were finally boarding a ferry to return to The Black Order. It had been a bit of a walk to the port, and Kisho had said his goodbyes to Yu and Nurse Yue before leaving since they had to stay at the hospital. Allen, Lavi, Kanda, and Kisho had rested most of the day, but had also spent time wandering around the city and helping where they could. Taipei had been partially destroyed in the attack and the citizens were starting to get organized again and had started helping others rebuild damaged structures.

Yu, the young person Kisho had helped treat, seemed to like the exorcists being around. In the short time they'd been in Taipei he'd gotten close to them. Yu had asked if they would come back to Taipei sometime, and Kisho said he hoped they could, but secretly hoped that they wouldn't. If they came to Taipei again it would mean there was a problem with Akuma again. Kisho didn't want to leave Taipei; he'd come to like the city even though it wasn't at its best at the moment. He also didn't want to leave Yu, since the younger person resembled one of his friends from home who had died. Considering that Yu could have died, too, Kisho was relieved and glad that Yu had made it through the Akuma attack. The young person's family had, too, and just before the Black Order group had left the hospital, they'd come to see him.

"When the war's over, I want to come here again. That patient, Yu, actually wanted all of us to come back." Kisho was leaning over the railing and staring out at the sea. Kanda was standing off by himself, and Allen had gone in search of food.

"Do you mean Yuu, or Yu, or you?" Lavi asked, coming to stand at the railing, a hand resting under his chin thoughtfully. Kisho looked confused.

"I, um, mean Yu," Kisho answered.

"Kanda?"

"The kid we met at the hospital, the one that hurt his eye."

"So, Y-U," Lavi clarified, and Kisho nodded. "It would have been weird if you'd mean Yuu. He's right over there, and..." Lavi glanced around before continuing, "...not sure if he can hear us but he probably can." His voice had lowered to a whisper, but Allen had walked up and heard regardless.

"Well, glad that's all figured out," Allen grumbled, marching up to the railing. Timcampy was sitting on his shoulder with his golden wings folded neatly. "Where's our next stop?" Kisho took out a medium-sized book from his shoulder bag and flipped through the pages until he came to a map of Europe.

"Fuzhou, which is right on the coast of mainland China." Lavi and Allen looked over as Kisho traced the map with his finger. "After that, we take a train to Beijing, rest and eat there if we need to, then get on another train and go to Bratsk, then walk the last stretch to the castle." Lavi groaned.

"Seems even longer than the trip we made to get here."

"It's because you've been working hard," Kisho said absently, still looking at the map.

"That's not as long as having to go from Portugal all the way across Europe, the Middle East, and then most of Russia," Allen commented tiredly, shrugging. "Well, I can't say the sights weren't nice."

"More and more cities have been getting attacked," Kisho reflected, looking troubled. "The Earl's looking for Heart fragments. But if they'd found and destroyed any, we'd know."

"He could just be gathering them up," Allen wondered, though would laugh if the truth was that the Earl and Noah just couldn't find any of them. "But Hevlaska has a lot of Innocence pieces too, and now she has about five pieces of the Heart, not including the ones that Chaoji, Krory, Lavi, and I have."

"Do you count as having one?" Lavi asked Kisho, who thought a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't think so…I don't have very much Innocence in my blood. Allen has all of it, pretty much."

"Most anything that keeps us ahead is fine with me," Allen sighed. "You can help too, unless you don't want to."

"I want to," Kisho said.

"Good," Lavi said approvingly. "Because we're still going to make you work."

"Alright," Kisho hastily agreed, mistakenly thinking Lavi was annoyed. "I can use my blood like a weapon to destroy Dark Matter. I learned how to from Krory." _And from Hyun-Ae,_ Kisho said to himself, but tried to ignore the thought. He didn't want to think about that person too much so he turned his attention back to the Innocence. Krory, by sucking Akuma's blood and then using his Innocence to purify the virus, could inject the purified blood back into Akuma and cause them to be damaged from the inside-out. If Kisho got his own blood on one of the knives he had, it temporarily became a weak version of an Anti-Akuma Weapon. He'd figured this out after falling and scraping his hand on an earlier mission. An Akuma had grabbed him and in an attempt to get free, Kisho had slashed at the Akuma with his knife, not knowing that his blood had gotten on the knife's blade. The knife had damaged the Akuma; somehow it had turned into a weak, temporary version of an Anti-Akuma Weapon. That mission, Kisho had also figured out something else important about what his blood could do, but since Kanda was here...Kisho glanced around and spotted him leaning against the railing with the book he'd been reading earlier in his hands. He didn't want to risk bringing that up since Kanda had made it clear he didn't want Kisho talking about it...and he wouldn't, at least not when Kanda was around. It seemed too important to never talk about again.

"You might be able to heal, like Krory," Allen added and Kisho tried not to react to that.

"Maybe. But I don't know." Instead of injecting purified blood into an Akuma, if Krory injected it into an injured person, it would heal them. The side effect was that Krory would be left weak for a short time afterward, unless he kept the purified blood and used it to heal his injuries-a good tactic for when missions were long.

Allen's stomach growled loudly, and seemingly in response Lavi and Kisho's stomachs growled too. "Let's all go eat, or we won't last the trip," Lavi moaned, rubbing his empty stomach. "Wonder what kind of food they have here." Kisho just listened as they walked to the lower deck together.

"Lots of good things," Allen explained with a smirk, "but it's all gone now." Lavi's jaw dropped and Kisho started reaching into his bag for a lunchbox that Yu had given him, but he looked up when Allen started laughing.

"I was just kidding, Lavi. There's lots of food left." Lavi held up a fist and Allen laughed again, then sped off down the hall with Lavi right behind him. Kisho ran to catch up and as he ran past an open door—it must be the food area because it smelled great—he spied Lavi running down a corridor ahead of him. He was about to call to Lavi and tell him he had some food when an arm reached out from the doorway to his left and yanked him inside. Allen had managed to give Lavi the slip, obviously, and before Kisho could say anything Allen put a finger to his lips. "He'll figure out where I went and come here pretty soon." Allen glanced at Kisho's bag. "Do you have something?" Kisho's hand was inside his shoulder bag, and he nodded and pulled out the lunch box.

"Yu gave me these. We should eat some. His mother must have made them."

"Thanks," Allen said, and grabbed one when Kisho opened the lunch box. Kisho took one too and munched at it slowly, put the lunch box back in his shoulder bag, then wandered over to a table that had food and drinks on it. He saw mantou bread, more dumplings, beef noodle bowls, hot tea, milk tea, water, and juice. He poured some milk tea into a cup and took a long drink. It was one of his favorite cold drinks, and he didn't mind drinking it since even if it was fall the weather was still pretty warm in Taiwan, especially compared to the cold climate he'd come from. Kisho was reaching for another mantou bun and when Lavi burst into the room. Kisho looked up quickly. The few other passengers that were in the room looked up as well, startled, but shortly just returned to what they'd been doing.

"If you've eaten everything, Allen, so help me I will—" Allen snorted, cutting off Lavi's threat.

"I said there was still lots of food left. Don't get so bent out of shape."

"I have to when the bottomless pit is around a buffet table," Lavi grumbled, picking up a plate and putting food onto it. He faltered suddenly. "We can eat this, right?" Kisho nodded.

"Komui told me that whoever gets on this ferry can eat the food and that passengers only have to pay for their ticket. Not that we had to buy tickets, but anyway."

"Nice," Lavi remarked, then finished putting food on his plate and began eating it eagerly. The door banged open again and the trio whirled around to see Kanda standing in the doorway with a commanding look on his face.

"We've landed. Let's go." Lavi bolted the rest of his food down, then followed his friends out of the room and to the upper deck. Once the ferry stopped they disembarked with the other passengers. It wasn't a long walk to the train station, and even though it was hot, the short ferry trip had been pleasant so far and there was a small breeze blowing. Once they'd gotten on and located some seats, Allen and Lavi eventually dozed off. It was about three or so hours to Beijing, then another couple hours to Russia. Kisho began nodding off an hour into the trip, but forced himself to stay awake until Kanda told him to just get some rest so he'd have energy for the rest of the mission. Kisho was shaken awake by Allen and their group got something to eat and drink in Beijing. Kisho could read enough on the menu and knew how to ask for their meal and drinks, so he thought that things had turned out pretty well. All the help Lenalee had given him with studying had really helped. The owner of this restaurant knew about exorcists and gave them their food (lamb hotpot, which they shared, and fried shrimp) and drinks (tea and water). The owner spoke to Kisho and told them that their food wouldn't cost anything as he gestured to the symbol on the exorcists' coats. He didn't seem to mind giving them a free meal, though Kisho was glad all of what they ordered had luckily not been too expensive.

Kanda hadn't eaten much, like usual, but Allen noted that he'd eaten a little more than was normal for him. Kanda caught Allen's eye and scowled. "What are you looking at?" he asked sharply and Allen hid a smile.

"Nothing, just thought there was something on your face...wait, it was irritation. Never mind, then."

"Mind your own business, moyashi."

Kanda gave Allen one last glare, then got a glimpse of the clock and asked Kisho if it was time to catch their train yet. They finished eating quickly, Kisho gave his thanks to the owner, and they ran for the station. They had had ten minutes left to catch the train, and after they got on and found their seats, Allen occupied himself with looking out at the night scenery, Lavi was playing with Timcampy and Kanda was reading a book. Glancing up quickly Kisho managed to read the title. He had been curious about the book before but never had been close enough to get a look at the title. He read it now and saw that it was called "Moby Dick" by someone called Herman Melville, but didn't know what the book was supposed to be about. He didn't think it would be a good idea to interrupt Kanda's reading to ask. Kisho glanced back down at the map guidebook in his lap before Kanda noticed he'd been staring. So many things had changed since he'd come to The Black Order. He had been an exorcist, then a Finder, knew two second languages, sort of, and had made a lot of friends and seen things that people probably didn't even think could exist.

After four months of training, sooner than expected, Kisho had started going on missions again, but as a Finder this time. Because the situation with the Earl and Noah was getting a little more tense, Kisho suspected he'd been let out into the field early, even though he was still training. Learning to use knives had been challenging, but after a while, his body and mind had memorized the movements until it had almost become instinct for him to use knives and defend against attacks. He still slipped up sometimes though, but would get better—had to get better. Learning how to navigate maps and how to act in certain situations had been a little harder—eventually, though, everything he'd been learning began to sink in. Kisho was still in the process of learning things like countries' capitals, their geographical makeup, what languages most people in countries spoke, but he'd learn a lot so far, and knew several medical procedures so he could give first-aid to any exorcists he went on missions with.

He'd begun studying on his own to learn more Chinese, and it had been difficult until Lenalee had started helping him study. She said that she didn't have much to do some days, so she didn't mind. It was thanks to her that he spoke it almost proficiently now; sometimes they talked to each other in English nowadays, but so he could practice and learn more, they'd be heard talking to each other in Chinese. Lenalee told him his accent was halfway Japanese and halfway with English pronunciations, but that he wasn't bad. It had been hard, everything he'd learned, but Kisho felt happy with what he was doing. He had a lot of friends, knew more languages, and was working hard at a job of sorts-one that had helped him in more ways than one. If Kisho had stayed home, he would never have gone to the Black Order and experienced lots of new things. If he'd stayed home, he likely would have died in the Akuma's attack. He owed everyone around him a lot-Cloud Nyne, Komui, and his friends since they frequently got him out of dangerous situations. Lavi and Allen especially seemed to have to watch out for him a lot. Kisho was just fifteen and had been to a lot of interesting places. Kisho told Cloud Nyne again that he would always be grateful that she'd helped him, and that he wanted to do something for her to show that he was. Cloud Nyne had refused, however, and explained that he shouldn't feel like he had to pay her back. Comrades and friends just helped each other out and no thanks were needed, but she would never do something for someone and want something back and that was why Kisho wanted to do something for her. He thought suddenly of his and Shiori's parents and wondered if they would have been proud to hear about everything Shiori and he had done. But suddenly thinking of parents made him remember the Broker. Kisho suddenly felt defensive and angry. Who cared if she was his real mother? Kisho didn't remember her, so it was easy for him to believe she had no relation to him. Not to mention that there was even less reason to feel relation to her since was on the Millennium Earl's side.

"Hey! Did you hear me?" It was Kanda who'd yelled and Kisho looked up in alarm. Allen and Lavi were staring at him, each with a similar grimace on their face. It became obvious that Kanda had been addressing Kisho a few times already and was fed up with trying to get his attention.

"What's the matter?" Kisho asked tentatively, giving the exorcists a disgruntled glance.

"You!" Kanda hissed back. "If you're the Finder, act like one. Pay attention to what's going on." Kisho nodded and closed his guidebook so he could pay attention, though Kanda was right-he'd stopped reading it a while ago and had started to daydream. The remainder of the trip was quiet and uneventful; Allen dozed off with Timcampy on his head, Lavi was gazing out the window at the sky, and Kanda went back to reading his book. When the train finally arrived in Russia, Kisho woke up Allen and they walked as quickly as they could back to the castle. Allen had always liked being at The Black Order, but now couldn't describe how relieved he felt to be back home. It had just been one thing after another the past few days, and finally he'd be able to get some rest in a familiar place. Kanda walked off right after getting past Gatekeeper, while Allen and Lavi lingered near the entrance a minute longer.

"I'll give the Innocence to Hevlaska, and report to him in the morning." None of the three people knew what time it was, but judging by how tired they felt, it was probably some obscenely early hour of the morning. Komui was probably asleep now, and the researchers, too—Lenalee had succeeded in letting them get some time where they could sleep and free time in general. It would take some time for them to get used to not drinking coffee as much though. According to Lenalee, Reever and the others were still pretty energetic from the caffeine still in their systems.

Lavi said goodnight to Allen and Kisho, and they replied goodnight to him, and Allen left to head up to their rooms, while Kisho trudged down to see Hevlaska. He didn't have to think about where to turn to go see her now, which made him feel like he'd really gotten used to being at The Order. There was a deep part in the castle somewhat like the old Black Order and that was where Hevlaska was. But even though her room was deep in the castle, it was higher up than before, or so Hevlaska said. Kisho couldn't tell the difference. But the Innocence Keeper seemed to like her new location.

"Good morning…..or whatever it is," Kisho yawned, then laughed and held out his hands, offering the Innocence to Hevlaska, and it floated towards her then down with the others.

"_Welcome back. You all had a very long and difficult mission. You should get some rest."_

"I'll take you up on that…all of us could have fallen asleep standing up." Kisho yawned again. "I'll come visit again and stay longer…right now I wouldn't be very interesting to talk to." Hevlaska seemed to smile.

"_That's alright. I will see you another time."_ Kisho waved, then sleepily turned and walked out of the Innocence Keeper's room, then made his way up to his own. Kisho turned his doorknob slowly, then closed the door quietly, trying not to make noise and wake someone up. Crossing the room he made it to his bed, where he kicked his shoes off and flopped down onto the bed, then curled up comfortably under the covers. He was so tired that it didn't take long for him to let go of everything he'd been thinking or worrying about so a short while later Kisho managed to fall asleep.

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><p>Allen held his stomach as it gave a loud growl. Hurrying towards the cafeteria he mentally told it to wait until he could get some food. It was a couple days after their mission in Taiwan, and he didn't have anything else to do at the moment, having already done his daily training, and after that he'd been ravenously hungry so he eagerly went to the cafeteria. Once he got there his blue-grey eyes looked around for his friends, but he didn't see them. Maybe they'd been called on another mission already. Lenalee should still be around…or maybe she was on a mission too. Sighing, Allen shook his head. Komui still wouldn't let her see people…there was no chance he'd let her go on a mission anytime soon. She had gone on one once recently….but if she'd gone on one today then Allen bet that everyone would know since he'd be making a fuss about it. For some reason Allen bristled. Lenalee was strong enough to take care of herself, and she was old enough, too, but Komui still treated her like she was a child.<p>

"Hey, Jerry?" Allen asked once he approached the cook. "Have you seen Lavi or Lenalee anywhere? Krory and Miranda aren't even here…neither are Shiori or Kisho. I've been looking for them for a while." Jerry shook his head, frowning slightly.

"No, they aren't. I haven't seen them this morning yet. But Kanda's over there." Jerry pointed but Allen didn't bother to look.

"Thanks for the help." The exorcist sighed again. "I'll just have the usual and then go look for them. Maybe they had a mission." Jerry nodded.

"They could have, but I haven't heard anything. They may just be wandering around somewhere." Jerry smiled reassuringly and left to start cooking, leaving Allen to linger off to the side of the ordering area. He yawned and glanced down at Timcampy. "If you want to get food in the middle of the night, you don't have to wake me up just to tell me." The golden Golem stared silently at him. "Unless you're bringing me something too."

"Allen." Timcampy was tossed from Allen's wrist when he whirled around and faced Lenalee. "Good morning!"

"Good morning. Is your ankle better?" Lenalee nodded happily.

"Yes. It's completely healed. What about yours?"

"No problems here," Allen replied, standing on his injured foot for a few seconds. Lenalee smiled and laughed. "Have you seen—"

"Lavi, right? And the others?" Lenalee asked, shaking her head. "I was just going to ask you the same thing. I'm going to go look for them after I got something to eat." Jerry came back just then and handed Allen his food.

"I got a lot of food today too. Do you want to eat some?" Lenalee hesitated, frowning.

"You can eat all of that without my help. Would it be alright if I had some?" Allen grinned and shrugged.

"Yeah. It's lunchtime now, so I'll come back after we find them." Lenalee waved at Jerry.

"Hi, Jerry! Sorry I was ignoring you. How have you been?"

"I've been great, sweetie! Thanks for asking!" Jerry replied, waving as the two exorcists walked off towards a table. They finished eating quickly and left the cafeteria and headed down the hall. They ran into their friends right away—Krory and human Shiori, who was cradling the brown duck in her arms.

"What are you doing?" They all asked each other at once, then laughed. It was Krory who answered.

"Coming to get something to eat, and let you know that that Kisho, Lavi, and Miranda just got called on a mission."

"No wonder they weren't around." Allen crossed his arms. "Where are they going?"

"China," Krory answered. "They're meeting Toma in a city not too far from the Asia Branch. Hyun-Ae's going with them as far as the mission site and then she's going on her own to see Bak. The mission is to defeat Akuma and look for Innocence. Hevlaska detected a signal there."

"Hyun-Ae's going with them? What's she going to do once she gets to the Asia Branch?" Lenalee asked, her eyebrows dipping a little. Krory sighed.

"She's going to appeal to Bak and see if he'll allow her to leave and go back to her family. She can't be an exorcist anymore and doesn't have much of a reason to stay."

"But she could still work for the Order," Allen noted, then shrugged. "I guess she didn't want to."

"If she didn't want to," Lenalee put in, "then I'm glad she didn't stay. If Bak lets her go back home, then that's good." Catching her friends' look, she said, "My family is here. But I think Hyun-Ae never really was comfortable here."

_That's probably why Master left…_ Allen thought grimly. He broke out of his thoughts when he heard a smacking noise.

"Shiori," Krory asked, "did you just kiss a duck?" Noticing everyone was staring at her with a bewildered expression, Shiori lifted her head and hugged the mallard duck.

"Yes," she replied pompously. "As a matter of fact, I did."

"That's nothing to sound proud of…." Allen said after laughing so hard his stomach ached.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Lavi, Kisho, Miranda and Hyun-Ae disembarked the train and headed for the town center. Hyun-Ae suddenly sneezed a few times and rubbed her nose, then turned to Kisho and Miranda.<p>

"Well, now that we're here…."

"If you're going to say, 'Get back on the train and go home', then don't, because I'm not going to," Kisho interrupted stubbornly. The Korean exorcist lifted her hands in defeat.

"Fine. But I was just going to say, now that we're not teammates anymore, we probably won't see each other again. So goodbye, and good luck on the mission." Miranda smiled halfway, not wanting to say anything on the subject, even though she had plenty of thoughts on it. Kisho frowned doubtfully, raising an eyebrow, and Lavi shrugged heedlessly. "But now that you reminded me, you really should go back." Kisho shook his head and Hyun-Ae seemed a little agitated. "It's advice."

_Unhelpful advice_, Kisho thought, but kept his mouth shut and kept walking after looking around and making sure Miranda, Lavi, and Hyun-Ae were all walking close together. It took around ten minutes to reach the town square where there were a few markets. Once the group got there and met up with Toma, the lead Finder this time (there were lead Finders the same way there were lead exorcists; Lavi was the lead exorcist on this mission), they began talking as if they were just having a friendly chat. Sometimes people walking by stared at them briefly but never said anything or approached them. Lavi, Miranda, and Kisho couldn't help but notice that more than a few of them gave them particularly suspicious and mistrustful glances. And they also noticed that Hyun-Ae seemed to be fidgeting uncomfortably, and she hardly ever let anything bother her, even if it was something serious.

"I'm going to….clear off," she said shortly, scuffing at the ground with both feet. "It was nice knowing you all." The only things she received in response were puzzled and anxious looks from Miranda and Toma, and harsh stares from Lavi and Kisho. "What? I mean it. It really was nice. Take care."

"You too," Miranda offered after a pause, and smiled hopefully. Hyun-Ae gazed at her, then turned her lips up in a return smile, but she almost looked sad. Then she turned and walked off without a word. "Will she be able to find her way?"

"I gave her a map Komui marked; it has our current location and the route to the Asia Branch on it," Kisho answered. "She'll be fine."

"Well," Lavi said cheerily, "let's get on with the mission. Sound good?" Kisho and Miranda nodded. Toma cleared his throat and nodded as well, then started into explaining the mission.

"You all know there are Akuma here, and a potential Innocence signal. The situation for the people here is dangerous. Attacks have been happening during the day and night, and frequently. A section of this city has been blocked off, and it's believed the Akuma are still hiding there. Anyone who was attacked there has just been left because it's too dangerous for anyone to approach." He shook his head.

"So that's where we come in," Lavi stated, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go for it." Everyone nodded and set off. Along the way Toma laid out the plan. Once they were at the edge of the wrecked part of the city, he explained that they were to search the area together, and split up at a second's notice if any Akuma attacked. Miranda and Kisho were to form a group if anything happened, and Lavi and Toma would stay together if there was trouble. Lavi, Miranda, and Kisho would be the main force of the mission. Since Miranda's Innocence weapon was defensive, Kisho would be fighting as much as he could to help her. But if they got in over their heads, they would contact Lavi and Toma by Golem, then go find them.

The damage was terrible—buildings had been obliterated, the ground was burned, and the whole area was a huge contrast to the rest of the city. The damaged part looked like an abandoned world. Any people they found along the way were very obviously dead—burned or injured so badly they would have been unrecognizable to anyone who knew them. Eventually, the group began to take a few seconds to examine bodies they saw, just enough to see if they were alive or not, and then they quickly got up and kept moving. Lavi closed his eyes, shaking his head, then snapped them open and pulled out his Anti-Akuma Weapon. "Get ready," he said, and Kisho looked up and heard a sound like an explosion. He and Miranda took off just in time—a virus bullet had been fired where they'd been standing a moment ago. Lavi destroyed that Akuma with a blast of fire and then dodged rolled to the side to avoid a bullet from another one that took its place. There were a bunch of Level Ones floating in the sky, the cannon type, but suddenly around a dozen Level Twos appeared. Kisho grimaced as he pulled out a knife and drew it across his palm, leaving a red line that leaked blood. He squeezed his hand over it and covered the metal blade with blood. The throwing knife suddenly glowed a dim green.

"Shrimp! Watch out!" Kisho heard Lavi's urgent yell and looked up just in time to see a humanoid Akuma land in front of him. It grinned at him and fangs poked out from behind its lips. The Akuma raised a hand and claws suddenly burst from its fingers. Kisho instinctively ducked under them as the Akuma slashed. The teenager rushed forward and stabbed the Akuma in its chest. He heard a shriek and felt the creature start thrashing around. Kisho shoved the dagger in deeper and moved to jump clear but felt the Akuma's arm slam into him. He was thrown into the air and landed heavily on the ground. A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see that the Akuma was leaning over him. A blast of heat seared Kisho's face and he rolled away and covered his head, then was abruptly yanked to his feet. "Move!" Lavi shouted, and Kisho ran after him. Lavi seemed alright—a little beaten up, but not badly injured. Several virus bullets rained down around them as they ran, but Lavi destroyed them with a column of fire. "Their aim is really bad, luckily for us," he panted while running with all he had.

"Where are Miranda and Toma?" Kisho questioned, slightly out of breath.

"They're fine—they got away. Once these Akuma are taken care of, we'll go find them." Kisho felt a sweep of relief and they ran in silence, Lavi destroying any Akuma that attacked, until they found the charred remains of a building and ducked inside for cover. The walls were still mostly intact, so as long as no Akuma came up from behind, they'd be safely hidden. Kisho kept an eye on the back of the house where the walls had partially burned away. They only stayed in the building long enough to check themselves for injuries; Lavi and Kisho knew they'd be sore in the morning, but that was better than anything else their enemies would dish out. After a minute they checked to see if the coast was clear, then quickly contacted Toma and Miranda with a black Golem. Lavi told them where they were, describing as many landmarks as he could. Thanks to the Akuma, there weren't many left, but Toma was able to recognize their location.

_"We just passed there. Keep running straight until you get to the end of the street, then turn right. And be careful."_

"Sure. See you in a bit," Lavi said, then handed the Golem to Kisho, and after another check for Akuma they ran from the house and down the street. A second too late Lavi glanced up to see a humanoid Akuma leaping down from the sky. It slammed into him and Kisho saw that it had a beast-like appearance, the same as the last Akuma. Lavi shoved his Anti-Akuma Weapon upwards and used it like a shield to avoid the Akuma's claws and teeth. Kisho got some more of his blood on his knife, changing it into a temporary Anti-Akuma Weapon again. Once it had activated he quickly aimed and tossed the knife. It shot towards the Akuma and—Kisho took a moment to be amazed at his aim—buried up to its hilt in the Akuma's left eye. Lavi shoved the creature back when it howled in agony and clutched its eye, and readied to swing his weapon, but too quickly the Akuma recovered and lunged at Lavi with its claws. The redhead jumped back but still got three red claw marks down his right side. Kisho rushed at the Akuma and managed to stab it before it grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Realizing his palm was pooling with blood again, Kisho moved his arm like he was throwing something. Blood streaked across the Akuma's face and got in its injured eye, which made it growl with pain and anger. Lavi got to his feet and extended the hammer's handle and it pierced the Akuma through the chest. Kisho scrambled backwards and leapt up, getting another knife ready. The Akuma grabbed the handle of Lavi's weapon and growled threateningly at him, but the exorcist wasn't fazed. Lavi glowered at the Akuma and suddenly flames shot down the handle and incinerated the creature. He was startled to see the Akuma burned away to nothing. He'd only had to think about selecting the Fire Seal and fire had appeared. Shaking away the thought, Lavi made the hammer go back to its normal size and ran over to Kisho. "You alright Shrimp?" The Finder nodded, winded from being tossed to the ground, and Lavi clapped him on the shoulder. "Then let's get going." He winced from his injuries, but ignored them as he ran.

"Lavi, I can heal that," Kisho told him, concerned, but Lavi shook his head once.

"Not yet. Let's just find Miranda and Toma for starters." But blood was soaking Lavi's shirt and he was clutching his right side tightly as he ran.

"You're bleeding too much. We need to stop." Another partially burned-out building was nearby and Kisho pushed Lavi towards it; the exorcist stumbled sideways towards it, overbalanced, and collapsed onto his knees. The pain and blood loss had made him weak, and he was already a bit tired from fighting. "Sorry!" Kisho gasped. Lavi grimaced.

"Even you can push me around, huh….alright," Lavi chuckled quietly, then stood unsteadily while Kisho helped him walk into the building and sit down. Kisho rifled around in the supply bag over his shoulder and located a canteen of water, bandages, and cloth towels. Lavi lifted his shirt, then just removed it since the scratches were so long, running from his armpit to his leg. Kisho pressed a towel onto the area and kept pressing for twenty minutes until the bleeding had slowed down enough. Then he poured the water slowly over the gashes, then got soap from his bag and poured water over a clean towel, then rubbed the soap into it until some bubbles formed. Wrapping the soap in bandages he tossed it back into the bag, then began dabbing and lightly scrubbing around the gashes. Lavi ground his teeth and closed his eyes. Then Kisho rinsed the injured area, made sure it was clean, and began winding fresh strips of bandages around Lavi's upper body. In a minute he had completely covered the gashes up and tied the end of the bandages off. Lavi pulled his shirt gingerly back on, then stood up and focused on not getting dizzy. "Good," he said. "Thanks. Now let's get going again." They checked the area and the sky for any Akuma, but didn't see any. Nothing else seemed wrong, either, so they stuck to the shadows in the street and continued on.

* * *

><p>"Why are you taking so long?" Road complained moodily to David, who was taking aim at his target with his revolver. Road jarred his arm towards the two figures and he stumbled a little in surprise, then crossly smacked Road's hand away. "He's right down there. Just shoot him, already. Jeez." The two Noah were both lying facedown on top of a building that hadn't been affected by the explosions. They were not too far from where their targets were. David was waiting for them to pass under the building walk a little farther, and then he'd take aim and shoot.<p>

"Shut up, tiny," he hissed. "They'll hear you. And I'll shoot whenever I want." David looked up at a Level Four Akuma—a winged, beast-like type similar to the others they'd sent out to fight—that was standing nearby. "Get over here." The Akuma glowered but silently complied and didn't react when Road skipped over and took out a knife. She grinned and dug it into the Akuma's arm, and held a bullet under the blood that dripped from the cut. When it was coated, it turned a deep red and hardened. Road tossed the bullet to David, and he loaded it into the cylinder, then readied it to shoot. "Give them a taste of their own medicine," he grunted to himself, then watched as the exorcist and Finder walked by without noticing them. "We knew about fighting this way a long time before they did, though."

"Thanks to me," the Level Four growled, but David merely shrugged and then, smirking, he took aim and pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p>"Where are you two?" Kisho was asking into the Golem, keeping his voice just loud enough to be heard. He was quickly becoming anxious; Lavi was leaning against a building with both hands pressed over his injury, and he didn't seem to be doing so well. "We're where you said to go."<p>

_"We wouldn't just jump out of hiding,"_ Toma replied. "_There might still be Akuma around. We can see you, so just hide nearby and wait, alright?"_

"Alright."

_"Are either of you injured?" _Toma's voice crackled through the flapping black Golem in Kisho's hand.

"Lavi is. I cleaned it and bandaged it but an Akuma got him pretty bad. No virus though."

_"I activated my Time Record,"_ Miranda's voice sounded next._ "Don't worry. We're almost there." _Lavi slid down the building and sat, but still couldn't get his breath. His injury was hurting a lot, and the blood loss was affecting him; he was having trouble seeing straight and was having slight problems with hearing.

"That's good. Lavi needs a doctor." Kisho looked up and saw Miranda and Toma approaching their hiding place and moved towards Lavi to help him stand up; he slung his friend's left arm over his shoulders and stood carefully. Lavi grunted in pain but stood up, his eyes closed; keeping them open wasn't doing him any good. Suddenly Lavi heard a gunshot and shot his eyes open in alarm. Kisho heard it too and had barely turned around when he felt a powerful burning sensation radiate across his back and then rip through him. He saw a burst of red as something shot out from his left side. The burning was so terrible that he wanted to scream but the sudden pain made him unable to move at all; he'd frozen in shock. Kisho's vision went black and he felt his legs crumpling as he fell. Lavi wasn't expecting the weight distribution to change and fell down halfway before clutching the side of the building to get his footing back. Then he glanced down and saw Kisho lying facedown; a splatter of red had painted the pavement and blood was forming a little pool under him. Miranda and Toma rushed up and the Time Record quickly took effect on the two. Then Lavi grabbed Kisho and they were all running away from the area as fast as they could, and kept changing directions together as they ran so they wouldn't be shot again. He glanced over his shoulder and looked everywhere that was possible for a shooter to be, but didn't see anyone. "Someone shot him," he said, and Miranda's eyes flew wide. Lavi kept moving even when he felt his injuries vanishing. His strength came back, but he still felt slightly woozy; he was strong enough to carry Kisho, though, at least for a while. The shooter was likely still around so it was important to keep moving and he spoke quickly along the way. "Did you see any other Akuma?"

"No," Toma replied, "we didn't. I think that you took care of them all." His eyes lingered on Lavi, and Kisho's motionless form over his back. "But either way, we need to get to a safe place." Lavi and Miranda nodded and they took off with Toma, their injuries gone for the moment. Lavi felt Kisho stirring slightly but guessed he was still unconscious even if his gunshot wound was gone for now. _Who _had shot at them?

* * *

><p>After David pulled the trigger he watched the youngest kid in the group take the hit and was slightly taken aback. He'd meant to hit the one called Lavi, but at the last possible moment, the kid had helped him up, making the redhead step aside just enough for him to take the bullet. If the Finder hadn't moved at all the bullet would have gone through both of them, and it wouldn't have mattered. This type of virus bullet wouldn't kill its target right away, but instead slowly turn them into an Akuma.<p>

"I can't believe it. He walked right in front of him! That was too lucky. Damn." David raised his gun again and was about to make another virus bullet when Road sank her nails into his shoulder; David glared at her and wrenched his arm away, not caring that her nails tore his sleeve and left red tears in his skin.

"Wait…" She mused. "Isn't he important to them too? Once they figure out he has the virus, they'll try to save him, probably with that vampire guy's help." David frowned, then widened his eyes in comprehension. "But he won't be able to suck all the virus blood out since it'll have spread by then and they won't have known."

"Right…that woman has the Innocence that can reverse injuries. They'll try to heal him, but that exorcist will just get the virus, too."

"And," Road added, drawing her tongue over her lips, "just in case he gets out of this one, I have something else planned for him. I'm not letting that little runt get away; he and I have a score to settle." David put his revolver away and crossed his arms, almost-but not quite-feeling sorry for the Finder. When Road got him where she wanted him, he knew she wouldn't waste time at making his life torture.

"I was worried but it looks like things are going to turn out better than we wanted," he said with an expression of anticipation.

"Aren't you glad she told you to wait to shoot again, Mr. Trigger-Happy?" The Akuma asked pleasantly, causing Road to giggle and slap hands with the Level Four.

"Oooh, burn!" The female Noah chortled. "Good one!" David massaged his forehead and gave them a unpleasant glare.

"Sometimes I hate working with you guys."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: I usually just write about the exorcists' point of view so it was cool to switch over to the Noah for a change. They have an important part, not just because they work for the Earl and are part of the main bunch of antagonists. It's fun to write about the Noah, which I was surprised to find myself think at first but I got into switching the viewpoint to them.<br>It's also kind of fun to make up new theories about Innocence and the Akuma virus. I'll have some more made-up theories about Innocence later; I'm looking forward to that. I hope everyone's looking forward to new chapters too. I hope making a part two didn't make the story too hard to find, but I felt like it was a good idea. I've never written anything this long before so I never thought about making the story two parts. So hopefully it works out! :)**


	2. Limbo

**I've been kinda busy lately but it feels good to be working on this again. It's been fun to work on.  
>I don't own D. Gray Man or the characters, names, places, Innocence or the rules of the universe. I make up my own rules and people so I own those things. Thank you for reading!<br>**

* * *

><p><strong>Limbo<strong>

Kisho blinked open his eyes and slowly looked around. No part of him hurt even though he had been hit by something. He shifted, trying to figure out where he was. Lavi craned his neck when he felt movement and saw that Kisho was awake. "Morning." Kisho realized that Lavi was carrying him on his back.

"Morning?" He repeated, even though he could see that the sun's early light was shining over everything. A slight mist was hanging over the area, too. "Where are we? Where are Miranda and Toma?"

"Right here," Toma replied. Kisho looked to his right. Miranda and Toma were walking side by side. "We're going to The Asia Branch. You and Lavi need medical treatment." Kisho remembered Lavi's injuries but couldn't remember what had happened to him. All he did remember was a strong, burning pain that made him black out.

"What happened to me?" He muttered. "I can't remember." Lavi sighed.

"Ever been shot before?" He asked wryly. Kisho shook his head, then remembered Lavi wasn't looking at him.

"No," he answered. "I haven't. Why?"

"Come on," Lavi grunted. "Because now you have been. We never saw anyone that could have done it, though, but we'll find out."

"I got shot?" Kisho asked incredulously. "But I feel fine."

"That's because of Miranda's Time Record," Toma explained, seeing that Kisho was confused.

"Miranda's...?" Kisho twisted his neck around to look at Miranda appreciatively. "Miranda...it sounds bad…so thank you."

"It is bad," Lavi said, feeling Kisho's body shudder. The Finder shook his head, a slightly uncomfortable smile on his face. "But we found the bullet, and it was whole. Looked like pieces didn't break off."

"I just hope neither of you have internal damage," Toma sighed, speaking to Kisho and Lavi. "But you might. Your injuries, from what I heard and saw, were both severe. How serious were Lavi's injuries?" The older Finder asked.

"Three gashes, and they were pretty deep…" Kisho muttered. "I didn't have anything good enough to do stitches."

"I didn't want you to try," Lavi said, scowling. "You aren't that good at it yet, are you?"

"That's why I didn't do it." Kisho hurriedly explained what he'd done to help Lavi. "That was right, wasn't it?"

"In the circumstances stopping the bleeding was the most important thing to do. And you cleaned the injury, which will help for later." Toma nodded approvingly. "You did a good job."

"How far are we from the Asia Branch?" Lavi questioned.

"Another half hour or so," Toma answered, looking at the surroundings. Kisho leaned back a little while holding onto Lavi's shoulders.

"I'll walk now," he said. "You shouldn't be carrying me when we get there." Miranda nodded and bit her lip; the only sign that she was upset.

"…I'll have to deactivate Time Record soon." Lavi hesitated, then knelt so Kisho could jump off his back. Trying to change the subject Kisho thought of the Innocence, and didn't know if the group had found it or not.

"Did you find the Innocence?" Miranda, Toma, and Lavi nodded together. "Great! And there were no other Akuma?"

"None," Miranda said, looking relieved. "It was a normal piece, not a Heart fragment. But I'm glad that we found it without any more Akuma showing up."

"It just took a while," Lavi interjected. "But worth it in the end, like always." Kisho's conversation attempt was short, and the group travelled in silence for the rest of the way to the Asia Branch, and only spoke when they were greeted at the entrance by Fo.

"So! Back, are you?"

"No, I'm Lavi. And it's Bak, like the sound a chicken makes." Kisho laughed in spite of the situation. Miranda looked at Kisho with a disconcerted glance, as if she was worried he'd lost it. "I am funny, aren't I?" Lavi grinned.

"Be quiet, idiots! What do you want now?" Fo spat, hands on her hips, but had a smile on her face that faded when she noticed everyone's serious expressions.

"Lavi and Kisho need medical treatment. Lavi has three gashes in his side and Kisho's been shot." Fo let her arms drop and she nodded, then turned and beckoned for them to come.

"You're in. Follow me." No one said anything on the way to the Infirmary either. Miranda was trembling slightly and Lavi's hand twitched when he noticed. He hesitated, then sighed and gently took her right hand in his left. She jolted in surprise, looked at him, and then quickly looked away with a reddened face. But she squeezed Lavi's hand softly in response. When Fo had led them into the Infirmary, Bak was there and he was standing in front of Hyun-Ae with an angrily frustrated expression. He was just finishing up winding bandages around her hands while shaking his head. When Fo cleared her throat, Bak turned and Hyun-Ae looked towards the group. Her face fell and Kisho was startled to see such a change in her expression.

"Fo? What's going on?" He gave a friendly look to the group, but it vanished when Fo spoke.

"Bak…they need help. Miranda's keeping them healed with Time Record, but Lavi has a bad side wound and Kisho received a gunshot wound to his side."

Bak looked startled for a moment, but quickly became serious and gestured to Lavi and Kisho. "Come here," he ordered, and the two glanced at each other before obeying. Miranda and Toma followed closely. Lavi and Kisho were led through a door to another part of the Infirmary where there were larger beds with tables that had a bigger variety of medical instruments. Lavi climbed onto one bed and Kisho sat on the other. "Wait here," Bak said, then turned abruptly and left. Miranda was still visibly upset but was being calm about it despite trembling a little. Lavi had released her hand by now, but nodded at her encouragingly, silently telling her he'd be all right. Fo strode up with a serious look on her face, and Hyun-Ae came up as well, trembling.

"You caused this. What will you do about it?" The Guardian of the Asia Branch asked menacingly. "Can't answer?" Fo whirled towards the group and glared at Kisho, who quailed. "Seems like your girlfriend had contact with a Broker close to the Earl."

"Girlfriend!" Kisho exclaimed angrily. "We're not dating!" Everyone except Hyun-Ae stared at him.

"Yes, you are," they chorused. Kisho slumped his shoulders, then looked over at Hyun-Ae.

"What did you do?" He muttered to her, but she didn't answer. She just stood, shaking her head. Fo sighed and led Hyun-Ae out of the room, then came back shortly and spoke up seriously.

"She told a Broker about you guys...about your abilities. Mainly Krory's." Fo glanced at Kisho and he swallowed nervously. "That Broker knows pretty much everything about Krory's Innocence now."

"Don't tell me..." Miranda exhaled sharply, eyes wide. "Did she tell the Earl?"

"Close," Fo replied grimly. "Hyun-Ae told a Broker that Kisho had abilities like Krory's, and then she apparently had to explain what those abilities were, and now the Noah know, and they told the Earl." Lavi glanced sharply at Kisho.

"What abilities exactly?" He demanded. "I know about Krory's already." While Kisho tried to answer, Lavi thought back to the moment just after he'd been injured. Kisho had said something about healing him, and Lavi had been too focused on battling the Akuma and then trying to deal with the pain of his injury, to pay close attention. "You slipped up," Lavi said, realization flooding over him. "You said you could heal me. Why didn't you bring that up until now?" Bak looked uneasily at Foーfor he already knew, as did Komuiーand she shrugged at him.

"Had to happen sometime," she told him in an undertone.

"Well...I didn't bring it up because I didn't understand," Kisho explained, looking guiltily back at Lavi.

"Did you tell Komui?" Lavi asked. For an instant Kisho met Bak's eyes, then looked away.

"I did. I explained that I healed Kanda by accident once." Bak looked away; Kisho had told him this story before. "He was hurt badly, and I was panicking. After, I just guessed that maybe the Heart made me able to heal."

"So you use your blood to heal," Lavi said, puzzling everything out, "and Krory uses blood to heal and fight...so that gave the Noah an idea of how to fight us? Hyun-Ae told a Broker, who spread the message to the Noah, and they told the Earl. Then he told them to kill Kisho."

"You're right, unfortunately," Fo said, nodding grimly. "But wrong in just one thing. Kisho wasn't their target."

"So who was?" Lavi asked, though when Fo met his gaze, he figured it out.

"Their target was you," Fo muttered, and Lavi ground his teeth, then raised his voice angrily.

"Didn't she forget everything?" He asked in frustration, looking at Bak, who stared levelly back at him. "And why hasn't she gone home already?" Fo stood up and answered for him.

"She forgot about being an exorcist, and about living at the Asia and Main Branches, but everyone she met she still remembers. Making her forget about any of us is beyond what Komui can do." Fo's expression clouded, and folded her arms. "She's known us for too long. Komui would have to get rid of a lot of her other memories, and that would have put her in a bad condition."

"We need to be sure that she won't be a danger once she leaves," Bak explained with a troubled expression. "Since becoming a Fallen One was the worst punishment for someone who betrayed the Order, I left it alone when nothing happened to her. In the past, if an exorcist or Finder stepped out of line, there were disciplinary measures...but Komui and I agreed to get rid of them." He sighed and suddenly seemed exhausted.

"Why did she talk to a Broker?" Kisho asked in disbelief, and Fo was about to reply but Bak stopped her.

"We need to finish the explanations later," he said firmly, nodding to Samo. "You need to be treated." Bak filled Samo and Fo in about Lavi and Kisho's injuries. Bak prepared to treat Lavi and Toma got ready to help him, and Samo turned to Kisho.

"Hey, you want Hyun-Ae to come back?" Lavi asked Kisho, and when he didn't answer, everyone looked at him. Suddenly Kisho realized everyone's eyes were on him and he looked uncomfortably back.

"Me?" He asked incredulously. "Why would I want that?"

"Isn't she your girlfriend?" Lavi taunted observantly.

"No," Kisho said, lifting his eyebrows, feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed. "I don't even have one."

"Yeah, you do," he chimed. Kisho slumped his shoulders and shook his head in annoyance.

"Alright, enough," Bak said, ushering Fo towards Samo before he moved over towards Toma, who was waiting to help him fix Lavi up. "This isn't important."

_Like you didn't enjoy that, _Kisho thought to himself, annoyed. _Everyone knows how you feel about Lenalee but they aren't allowed to broadcast it everywhere._

Miranda nervously got ready to deactivate her Time Record when the word was given. Toma got Lavi started on an IV that would make him fall and stay asleep for a while, even after the surgery was over, and Samo prepared the same thing for Kisho. "Depending on how serious your wound is," the man told him, "it could be hard for you to recover completely." Kisho glanced up, and nodded once.

"What about Lavi?"

"Come on, I'll be fine!" Kisho sat up a little straighter and pulled his Finder's cloak off so it would be easier for him to be worked on. He pulled his shirt off too at Samo's prompt, and looked down at his side. It was uninjured for now. He'd never seen a gunshot injury before and was glad that when he did see it, it would look a lot better. Kisho glanced over at Lavi and saw that he had undressed halfway as well. Lavi caught Kisho's eyes and smirked.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Uh-huh. She's your girlfriend," Lavi snorted and Kisho groaned. "Anyway, shrimp, don't worry. You'll get better in no time."

"You're smart for a dumb rabbit," Fo said with a sinister expression. "Idiot Bak actually knows what he's doing. Samo taught him everything he knows."

"Lavi," Kisho said dazedly as the anesthetic took effect, "It's fine..." His words trailed off as the medicine took effect. "...that I was the one.."

"I'm the smartest one here," Lavi grumbled, his words slurring a bit as he let his eyes close. His breathing deepened as he drifted off. Fo smiled and looked gently at Miranda.

"Go ahead," she told her with a careful nod. "It's fine now." Miranda nodded, and a few minutes later she deactivated her Innocence at Bak's command. In his sleep, Lavi grunted when his injuries returned but he didn't stir again after that. The anesthetic had worked a little more quickly on Kisho and he had fallen asleep a minute before Lavi, but he jerked reflexively as his injury came back. Samo checked the injured area, then carefully turned Kisho onto his right side to examine the entrance wound, then the bigger exit wound. Samo got a clean thick cloth and pressed it to the front and back of the injury and kept pressing but something caught his attention. Stars had slowly begun appearing across his skin. Fo heard footsteps approaching and glanced up for a second, seeing that Hyun-Ae had come back, but she ignored the person for the moment.

"He was hit by a virus bullet?" Fo asked, and Miranda shook her head frantically.

"No! Just a normal one..." she replied, stammering a bit. Bak shook his head and kept his attention focused on Lavi; he couldn't focus on Kisho right now.

"It wasn't a normal bullet..." Hyun-Ae murmured. "But he got the virus before and I heard it just cleared up."

"But it's not now," Samo growled, still picking up medical tools to fix Kisho up, though he was starting to hesitate, wondering if he should stop. A bullet wound was often near-fatal enough without the Akuma virus guaranteeing the victim's death.

"Samo," Bak said after a deep breath, not looking up from Lavi. He'd started fixing up the second gash in his side. "...Please keep working on him."

"What do we do?" Toma murmured automatically, but was still helping with Lavi so he hardly listened to the answer and vaguely wondered why he'd asked.

"Fix him up," Bak ordered tensely. "When we're all done, I'll contact the Main Branch."

"I'll call them," Fo offered, crossing her arms and frowning, and she looked at Hyun-Ae for a moment, about to order her to leave again. Then she sighed and glared at the young woman. "Help Samo and do whatever he says," she ordered, and quietly Hyun-Ae obeyed, picking up gauze pads and pressing them were Samo indicated. Kisho's injury was still bleeding steadily.

"I want to explain what's going on when these two are out of danger," Bak told Fo, then fell silent. The Asia Branch guardian nodded and held a hand to her forehead in thought. When Miranda's Time Record was activated, it was so easy to be convinced that the people whose injuries she was keeping away would be fine, but when it was deactivated the daydream dissolved and the reality of the situation crashed down.

"Krory saved Lavi from the virus once," Miranda murmured.

"But he's nowhere near here," Fo told her, and Miranda looked away unhappily, biting her lip hard. "It might be too late when he gets here. I still don't even..." Miranda looked at her, and Fo sighed, then continued, "...know if you should be working on him, Samo." She looked firmly at everyone. "It's just the truth. I want him to be saved if it's possible, but if it's not possible, then what?"

"Can Innocence get rid of the virus?" Miranda questioned. "And the Heart has a better chance of resisting it." Fo shook her head slowly.

"That's true," she said, "but we can't use a whole piece for that." Fo crossed her arms and looked away from everyone as she spoke. A clatter made Miranda start; Hyun-Ae had dropped a medical instrument she'd been handing to Samo.

"Watch it!" Fo snapped. "If you can't do anything properly, then just get out!" Hyun-Ae didn't answer back; she retrieved the instrument from the metal tray and gave it to Samo. Fo shook her head and gave an annoyed growl. "When you're done helping, it'd be better if you left." Hyun-Ae nodded, looking subdued, and Fo scowled angrily.

"Fo, could you go and get some supplies from the back room?" Bak grunted while concentrating heavily on treating Lavi. "We have units of their blood type in the back." Fo looked at Lavi and Kisho and felt like wringing Hyun-Ae's neck, but turned and stomped off to get more medical supplies. Lavi was worse than she'd thought and he was bleeding again; they'd need a lot of gauze pads, and he might even need a transfusion. Emotion flickered over her face for a moment as a thought came to her. _If those two die, I may just kill her... _Fo thought harshly. _She doesn't remember that she was an exorcist, but she still knows a bit about the Black Order and exorcists. She also still knows about Brokers...that could mean she knew one for a long time. As for which one...I'll make her tell before she leaves._

* * *

><p>Kisho crossed his arms in confusion and glanced around. Somehow he was back at the Main Branch, even though he, Lavi, Miranda and Toma had just arrived at the Asia Branch. Maybe he'd been taken to the Main Branch while he'd still been asleep. Kisho wondered how long it had been, and on impulse, lifted his shirt and looked at his side. There was no mark from the bullet there, and even the bite marks from that Akuma were gone. Had he been asleep long enough for the mark to not be noticeable? That didn't make sense. He'd probably always have some sort of scar from it. And it would have taken years for it to be almost gone. And if he was awake, why was he here instead of in the Infirmary? Maybe he'd recovered but had been in a coma, and didn't remember anything except being waking up here. But if he wasn't in bed, he had been walking in his sleep, but he didn't know how. And why would he not have been seen?<p>

Voices nearby made Kisho pull his shirt back down and glance up. Kanda and Chaoji walked right past him but apparently hadn't noticed him. Catching up, Kisho spoke and hoped to get some answers. "What's going on?" Kanda and Chaoji didn't even turn their heads in response. He'd been speaking loudly, and they still hadn't heard. Kisho tried again, starting to feel uneasy. "Hello?" Still the two exorcists appeared not to hear him. When they turned suddenly and stopped, Kisho felt a sweep of relief, but heard a voice behind him and turned.

"Wait. Did you hear anything else?" Kanda was glaring right through Kisho, who stood dumbstruck as he gazed from Allen to Kanda to Chaoji over and over.

"We already told you all we heard," Chaoji answered slowly. "Bak told Komui that Krory might be able to help. He's done with his mission and is headed over, even though...they're not sure he'll be in time."

"Have you seen her anywhere? I've been looking for a while." Allen asked, sounding troubled, and Kisho was slowly starting to understand what was going on. They obviously couldn't hear him or see him.

"No," Kanda snapped, eyes narrowing irritably. "And don't ask me to look. I don't want anything to do with her."

"I'm dreaming," Kisho mumbled to himself, trying to be quiet even though they somehow couldn't hear him.

"Fine," Allen told Kanda sharply. "I'm going to tell Lenalee and Shiori what happened, but you should have told Lenalee what was going on." Kanda's eyes flickered momentarily with an emotion Kisho couldn't catch, but it was gone just as quickly. Kanda's dark eyes narrowed angrily as Allen dismissively waved a hand. "Forget it. You're usually too emotionally void to help anyone." Kisho stared at the ground and flinched when he heard Kanda's heated reply.

"Watch your tongue, moyashi, or I'll cut it out for you." Chaoji moved between the two and held up his hands.

"That's enough," he told them firmly, then said to Allen, "You look for Lenalee, and I'll find Kimura." Kisho moved closer to Allen and reached his for Allen's left hand, but it went right through and he jolted in surprise. Allen seemed to shudder somewhat as Kisho's hand went through his arm, which immediately caught his attention. "Allen, how is Lavi? Can you hear me?" Kisho grabbed at Allen's arm a few more times, hoping vainly that he might notice. Allen crossed his arms and sighed, but appeared to be calming down. Kanda scoffed and marched off; Allen ignored him, and as Kisho clutched at his arm again, he didn't seem to be noticing.

"Good idea…" Allen said, nodding. "I'll go tell Lenalee how they're doing. Lavi's recovering fine, but I don't think I'll tell her everything about Kisho..." Allen nodded gratefully at Chaoji; his friend looked tired. "Thanks." Chaoji nodded and continued walking, while Allen turned the other way and ran off. Kisho started after Allen, then looked over his shoulder at Chaoji's retreating figure.

_So Lavi's alright._ He smiled and sighed in relief. _And __it sounds like I'm still alive…I think_, Kisho thought, frowning as he watched Chaoji and Allen leave. _Allen kind of noticed when I tried to touch him, so maybe if I follow him he'll be able to see me soon._ Kisho turned quickly and ran after Allen, hurrying to catch up before he lost him. Since he'd dawdled so much, though, he quickly became lost and soon stood in a hall with the occasional exorcist or Finder walking by without noticing him. "Damn it!" Kisho lashed out, finally frustrated, and aimed his fist at a nearby wall. The cathartic effect of punching a wall was lost as his hand passed right through it however. Since Kisho hadn't encountered the expected resistance, he overbalanced and fell through the stone wall, landing in a heap soon after. After picking himself up, Kisho noticed he'd fallen into the library. Turning, he walked gingerly towards the wall and passed through it, exactly the way ghosts were supposedly able to. Kisho crossed his arms and took a few breaths, trying to calm down and think. _I'm a ghost? So I'm not alive._

Glancing around, Kisho saw someone walking by and took in a sharp breath when he recognized Reever. The man was looking down at a book in his hands as he walked. In desperation, Kisho lunged at him in the hopes he could grab his shoulders, but he just overbalanced and fell right through him. Reever kept walking without a backward glance, his expression preoccupied. "Come back!" Kisho yelled, and ran after him, but when he attempted to grab Reever's arm, he was still unable to. Walking next to him, Kisho tried addressing Reever, but eventually the man walked through a door and shut it loudly behind him. Kisho knew he could probably just walk through it, but didn't. He was starting to realize that he might be a ghost forever and didn't like that idea. He thought of the times when he'd gone to visit Reever and Johnny when they had short breaks during work, and he liked talking to them and sometimes helped them with things. Kisho knew he couldn't be too much help, since he wasn't that smart and didn't know how to do the work they did. But he could bring them things they needed to work, like coffee or snacks, or clean up their work space, and they'd talk to each other whenever they got a chance.

Kisho already felt like he was starting to lose his mind at the thought of never being able to talk to them or anyone ever again. He slowly knelt on the floor and hung his head, suddenly wondering if Lavi was experiencing something like this, too, but immediately hoped that he wasn't. _I'd rather be dead, _Kisho thought dejectedly to himself, i_nstead of not being able to talk to anyone. I'd take having a conversation with Kanda now! _"Reever, please...listen to me...someone listen."

"Who's there?" Kisho stood quickly and blinked in shock.

"Noise?" He asked in a voice almost too quiet to hear, but Noise seemed to have heard and nodded once, frowning doubtfully.

"Yes." Kisho was struck dumb. Noise glanced one way and then the other, listening. Then he looked back at the place where he'd heard Kisho's voice. "You sound like Kisho, but he's not here now, so who are you?" Kisho didn't reply; he was trying to figure out how to explain. "Why are you talking to yourself?" Noise asked with a slightly puzzled tone.

"I am Kisho!" He yelled frantically. "I don't know how but I'm here." Desperately Kisho moved towards Noise and touched his arm, but like with Allen and the wall earlier, his hands kept going through. Noise seemed to sense something like Allen had, though, and shook his arm as if an insect had been crawling on it.

"Kisho?" He asked calmly, but the note of disbelief could be heard. "Is that really you?" Kisho nodded his head energetically.

"Yes! It's me!" He exclaimed, almost falling to the floor in relief. "I'm here, but no one has been able to hear or see me."

"I can't see you, either," Noise reminded him, smiling faintly. Kisho shook his head furiously.

"I know!" He shouted. "I'm sorry, Noise...but you're the first person who can hear me. Could you help me? Could you think of something? Please?" Kisho couldn't help begging, even if it very likely made him sound annoying.

"I'm not sure how or what I could help you with, but I at least won't leave you," Noise replied, moving his hands in a calming manner. "And if no one else can see or hear you, then you should follow me somewhere secluded so I don't look like I'm talking to myself." Kisho nodded understandingly. "And we'll find out what happened. Try to keep calm until then."

"Good idea," Kisho said, relieved that he'd found Noise; he was listening and treating the odd situation calmly. "I'll follow you and keep talking so you know I'm here."

"Alright," the man replied, and set off with Kisho walking beside him. "Where are you?"

"To your right," Kisho answered, reaching up to touch Noise's arm before stopping. Touching him might not work, but if it did, it might just startle noise.

"So, tell me," Noise said once he'd stopped in a secluded alcove far down a hallway, "how did you get here?" Kisho tried to do what Noise said and took a breath to calm down. Then he began to explain what he knew slowly, and now felt guilty for having given into panic and yelling at Noise earlier.

"I was at the Asia Branch," Kisho explained, crossing his arms nervously. "Lavi and I got hurt on the mission. Bak, Samo and Fo were treating us. I went to sleep, and the next thing I knew, I was here. I want to know if Lavi's alright." Noise nodded once, gravely.

"I heard about the mission, and just got a message about Lavi. He's been treated and is fine now."

"An Akuma attacked him and he lost a lot of blood. But, Noise…." Kisho said, faltering for a moment. "I followed Allen because I wanted to see if he talked about my condition." Noise's expression became grave. "If I'm here because I'm dead…"

"You think that you're a ghost," the exorcist stated, frowning, then shook his head. "But you're still alive, Kisho. Lavi will be fine with enough rest."

"Good!" Noise appeared to be taken aback at the outburst. "It's just, I was worried about him. I saw what happened to him but kind of don't remember what happened to me."

"You were shot," Noise explained, "and the bullet used was a virus bullet," Noise explained calmly, but looked slightly troubled, and Kisho couldn't blame him. Kisho hadn't even believed in ghosts or wandering spirits or whatever he was, but Noise could hear him, and no one else could see him, so what else could he be? Noise looked towards where Kisho's voice had come from with a questioning expression, and the teenager brought his attention back to the exorcist. "It's complicated, but..." Noise hesitated. "The others figured out that a Noah..."

"A Noah was going to shoot Lavi but shot me?"

"So you do know," Noise said patiently.

"When I found you, I forgot..." Kisho admitted. "I was really relieved that you could hear me." Noise's mouth turned up in a faint smile. "Noise, if I have the Akuma virus, that means I'll die." Kisho asked, gazing at the ground, a subdued expression on his face. When Noise didn't respond, he looked up quizzically, and immediately stepped back. Noise was gone, and Kisho wasn't at The Black Order anymore. He didn't know where he was. Everything around him was black, even the area underneath his feet, but he was standing as if there was still a floor beneath him. A black-clad man Kisho had never seen before was grinning at him, and looked like he was on the verge of laughter.

"That was the point! You're slow, aren't you?" The man doubled over with laughter. "I'm not your friend."

"Who are you?" Kisho demanded, on guard. The man gradually stopped laughing and met Kisho's gaze; the Finder looked away briefly, then back up, and jumped when he saw the man was now directly in front of him. He grabbed Kisho by his shirt collar and yanked him closer.

"At first our target was the one you call Lavi." He shook his head and smirked. A shiver ran down Kisho's spine and his mouth fell open slightly. "But we'll kill a lot of exorcists with just you."

"How?" The man laughed once and shoved Kisho back. The Finder stumbled a few feet, then lost his footing and fell to the ground, arms tightly hugging his body.

"There's more than one way to become an Akuma," the man chuckled. Kisho looked up and tried to speak but couldn't, though he would have been talked over anyway. "Do you know how?" Dimly Kisho shook his head.

"Dead people can never come back in the way I want," he gasped out, struggling to speak through the pain that had suddenly wracked his body.

"That's not how I mean. See, you aren't very smart. The Black Order only knows one way that Akuma are created. The other way is if a person is turned. The Earl can't convince everyone to bring a dead person back, so sometimes something else is needed."

"Wh-what...?"

"You should know," the man growled, a threatening grin on his face. "It's been used against Akuma to destroy them, but now we can use it to destroy exorcists." Kisho shook his head and tried not to pass out. "Blood."

"Then..the bullet..." Kisho lowered his head and stared at the ground. "I will die from it."

"Nope. David and I created a new kind of bullet that would absorb Akuma blood and have the ability to turn people into Akuma." Kisho ground his teeth and tried to stand up despite the pain, but his knees buckled and he collapsed again.

"David's a Noah...Lavi talked about him." A sudden feeling of anger overcame Kisho and he managed to wobble to his feet, fists clenched angrily. He didn't have his knives, but he could use his fists. "You were going to turn Lavi into an Akuma?" Kisho moved forward, wanting to attack the man, but his attempt was weak and he was just pushed away. He fell to the ground with a thud and lay facedown, struggling to even lift his head.

"What do you want to do about it?" Jasdero sneered, approaching the Finder slowly.

_I can barely move. _Kisho lifted his head a fraction, breathing heavily, his vision clouding. He dropped his head back down when he couldn't stand the pain anymore. His body felt like it was being stabbed over and over.

"The Innocence in your blood is fighting against the Akuma virus," Jasdero stated with grim eagerness, "but that won't last for long."

"Try and last for a little while, at least," a new voice spoke up. "I want to tell you something." Jasdero shuffled his feet and stepped away from Kisho as Road approached. "I've been waiting to talk to you. You can't escape any more." The female Noah smiled lightly and knelt in front of Kisho, who heard her approach but was unable to lift his head to meet her gaze. If he had, though, he would have been overcome by fear. Road didn't look angry, but there was a strange glint in her eyes that had unnerved even Tykki and made him unable to meet her gaze when he'd spoken to her earlier.

"Do you know what Allen was to me?" Road questioned the shaking form of Kisho quietly; when he didn't respond, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up at her. "I won't wait for an answer again—I'll take it!" Kisho moaned, struggling to say something.

"I don't know," he whispered, dimly wishing that this hallucination or nightmare would be over soon.

"He was an exorcist, but I loved him." Road's fist clenched and she strongly pulled on Kisho's hair, causing him to yell out in pain. "I loved him even though he did things that should have made me hate him."

"Let go," Kisho heard himself begging quietly. Road tilted her head slightly and a small grin appeared on her face.

"Alright, then," she murmured, then released Kisho's hair and slammed his head down in the same motion. The Finder cried out loudly, grasping at his face and arching his back in agony. Road forced him onto his back with a sharp kick. "I hated Allen sometimes, but I hate you even more." Road grabbed Kisho's injured face and lifted it up again. His eyes fluttered open for a second and met Road's eyes. She crooned at him and a cruel smile appeared on her face. "Does it hurt? Do you want it to end?" Kisho's eyes dropped shut and he moaned. Jasdero was staring at Road with slightly wide eyes, unable to look at Kisho's bloodied face, but he didn't make a move to stop her. "Well, do you know how you hurt me when you took away the only thing that connected us?"

_Us? _Kisho thought weakly, and Road somehow sensed his confusion.

"Allen and me!" Road howled at him. "We were alike! He could have joined us and we could have been together all the time!" The female Noah pulled Kisho closer to her face and yelled, "But you took that away! Now he's just an exorcist—my enemy! I don't want to, but I have to kill him someday!" Road let go of Kisho and the back of his head slammed into the floor, but he was barely conscious and only let out a weak groan as pain cracked through his head and neck.

"I like...Allen too..." Kisho forced himself to stay awake and managed to get the words out. "I...couldn't...do nothing..." His voice faltered and cracked, and he looked up at Road's face and could barely make out tears falling over her cheeks while her eyes stared angrily at him. Then his vision faded into darkness.

"If you hadn't done anything, then Allen wouldn't have had to die!" Road shouted, angry tears blurring her vision. "But he will, thanks to you!" Road pulled a leg back and drove it into Kisho's side a couple times. Jasdero shrugged uncomfortably, looking away, and folded his arms.

"I hate to admit it," he muttered, "but that Allen's not a pushover. He might survive." Road glowered at Kisho, his body lying motionless on the ground. Her mouth stretched into a satisfied grin when black stars formed on his paling skin, gradually shading it to a dark grey.

"He might, but this kid won't," Road muttered, staring down at the Finder. "He'll change soon. We're done here." Jasdero glanced back at Kisho and looked quickly away again and shuddered.

_Glad I'm not you._

* * *

><p><strong>I only know that Road seemed to have a crush on Allen and kissed him once, but then I thought that she might actually love him. In recent chapters it seems like she does really care for him so I wanted to pay attention to her thoughts in this chapter. I like seeing things from the Noah's point of view. I liked writing these chapters because I could focus on them more. I like the Black Order guys, but the Noah are important to the story too. A lot of them freak me out (though I freaked myself out a bit when I was writing about Road in this chapter) but they'll be more important to the story. I want to include them a bit more. I hope I keep them in character too because they're pretty cool despite the fact that they're trying to destroy the world.<strong>

**Thank you for reading. Hope you liked the chapter!**


	3. Wake

**Hi everyone! How's it going? Excited for summer? I am!**  
><strong>So, here we go, another chapter! You excited? Maybe? Well, anyway, here you go.<strong>  
><strong>I don't own the canon characters or events or names...I just made up a little town of my own characters and I own them. Katsura Hoshino owns everything else though. Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy the chapter.<strong>

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><p><strong>Wake<strong>

Allen was finally getting used to the new Main Branch's location. The good thing about it was that exorcists could walk with little trouble to the nearest train station, which was identified as "nearby" even though it was a long walk, first along a path through a thick forest of trees that hid the castle, and then across a large plain to the town nearby. There was no transport system like in the old Black Order, but since the move, most everyone had adjusted and didn't mind the walk, at least as long as the weather was nice. It gave them time to relax, plan, or just chat with each other, since there wouldn't be time for that while on the mission. Just Lenalee, Allen, Krory, and Shiori had decided to go to the Asia Branch, since most of the exorcists—including Chaoji, Kanda, and Noise—had been preparing to go on a mission, or already were on one. Along with many of the resident Finders, Celio and Emile were out with exorcists. Toma was at the Asia Branch, and Camille wouldn't be able to go with exorcists on missions for a while, since she was having a baby in February. It was currently the second week of December….and cold. Fall had been the only time where no one minded walking around, since in summer it was too hot, and winter was too cold. Today it wasn't too cold since clouds were covering the sky, but the exorcists were still bundled up tightly, more grateful than in summer for their heavy, dark-colored uniforms.

"We will…." Shiori began to say, but trailed off before she could get the whole sentence out. Everyone turned to look at her while walking.

"What? Just tell us," Lenalee prompted, her eyebrows furrowed anxiously.

"We will be in time…..right?" She asked hesitantly. "They'll be alright?"

"Of course they will," Lenalee answered sharply. "They're strong."

"Lavi's going to be fine," Allen replied quickly in a sharp tone. "He's still asleep but he's recovering. And Kisho's fine. He hasn't gotten worse." _Or better._

"Shiori," Lenalee said, frustrated, and she took a breath and started again. "We're all worried, you know."

"I know that!" Shiori replied, lowering her head a little. "I know. Just, when I had to deal with any big...incident...like this, I was too little. I was probably upset, but it still didn't sink in." She looked up uneasily, then quickly down at her feet.

"It will be alright," Allen said, more calmly than he felt, but wanted to keep everyone together. That was something he'd have to do as a General; he had even more responsibilities now. Soon he would have another mission, and he'd be carrying several Innocence in order to find Accommodators. He might even leave The Black Order soon to go traveling—something he wasn't looking forward to. After Mana had adopted him, he'd never been used to being alone. And someday he might be training a young exorcist, if the war lasted that long, and it probably would. Allen currently had two Innocence inside his coat, and he constantly patted them to make sure they were still in his pocket, but there was no need since the cubes gave off a reassuring warmth. "We'll be there soon." Everyone had been keeping up a quick pace and the group caught a glimpse of a small city in the distance. Allen looked back at Lenalee, Shiori, and Krory. They were walking at a swift pace and had similar expressions of solemnity on their faces. Shiori was chewing her lip, looking around uncomfortably, and Lenalee's arms were folded, and she was staring off into the distance.

_They're all my responsibility. I don't know if that's what Generals think, but I think it, and I'm sticking with it. _Allen looked ahead and saw the town coming closer. Soon they'd be inside its limits.

"I'm sorry I brought all that up," Shiori said while they were walking through the city towards the train station. "Maybe I shouldn't have...maybe you didn't want to hear it."

"It's alright," Lenalee said quietly after a while. "Just don't keep everything in and then expect we'll understand." Shiori felt a pang of hurt.

"Oh, I won't get mad at you," Shiori laughed, trying to return Lenalee's attitude without sounding scornful underneath. "I feel fine. I think, when we get on the train, I'll put my head out the window and bark. But I won't run off."

"So says the person who went all the way to the Main Branch even though Asia was closer," Allen said with a sly look. Shiori frowned in annoyance and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I meant to go there!" She said quickly; Lenalee caught Krory's eye and smiled faintly at him.

"Oh, it's fine now," Allen laughed. "But everyone was confused when you first showed up," Allen chuckled. "Toma likes dogs—he might have taken care of you." Soon they located the train station and got on their train, then waited inside in their seats for it to start moving. Shiori sighed noisily and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. Allen looked out the window as the train began pulling away from the station platform.

"I think I'm going to sleep on the way," Shiori announced, a little gingerly. "If that's alright." Allen nodded understandingly.

"That's fine. Getting rest isn't a bad idea."

"Hopefully I won't sleep too long." Lenalee yawned.

"I might nap too," the young woman said tiredly. "But wake me up too so you two can get some rest." The addressed exorcist lifted his eyebrows and shook his head once.

"Have a good rest," Krory told Lenalee with a smile and nod. "We'll just be across from you." The train wasn't one with compartments; it was one that had rows of seats. Lenalee was sitting next to the window and Shiori was in the aisle. Allen had the window seat and Krory was in the aisle seat on their side of the train. Shiori closed her eyes and had dropped off before the train was full and had started moving. Lenalee drifted off to sleep when the train had been moving for a little while, and the rocking of the train helped calm her, even if it was noisy to most people.

Thinking about Lavi and Kisho, Allen bit the tip of his thumb and stared at the black skin of that arm, turned dark because of Innocence. Black, which most thought was a color of evil. Allen shook his head and smiled wryly. He'd been so close to becoming all Noah. But Lenalee and Kisho had stopped that. Allen thought of something and sat up straighter in his seat.

"What is it?" Krory asked with a surprised expression.

"The Noah could kill anyone right away if they wanted," Allen stated gravely, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "They destroy Innocence just by touching it. They could have killed Lavi and Kisho, especially since they were hurt, but they got away." Krory nodded, his expression now serious. "Their target was Lavi," Allen continued. "Kisho has the virus but he's still alive. He has Innocence in his blood, so he's somewhat immune, but so is Lavi. He has a Heart piece now. If the virus wouldn't immediately kill Kisho, then they wanted to keep the virus in his blood for a longer amount of time, so they used enough of it so it would be harmful, but not deadly right away." Krory nodded grimly, but was confused until a thought struck him.

"What if they were trying to spread the virus…." His eyes widened. "…Using Lavi? Of course we'd want to save him, and they knew about me...they know I can suck the virus out of people's blood. I'm immune, too, even more than they are." Allen shook his head and closed his eyes.

"But what if you wouldn't be able to this time? If they had a stronger Akuma virus that couldn't be broken down, then what?…" Krory faltered slightly.

"Then I might not be immune," he said, and he met Allen's eyes with a grave and frustrated expression. Suddenly Krory felt uncertain about what his Innocence could do and it irritated him deeply. "What if we're right?"

"We could be right, or wrong," Allen told him slowly, "but we'll just have to wait until we get there. We have to tell Bak." Allen narrowed his eyes. "They can't get us—not like this." A sudden flare of rage made him clench his hands tightly and his muscles bulged under his skin.

"The Earl is using Innocence against us." Krory nodded, afraid his companion was right.

"But there's still time. Bak won't do anything until we get there." The black-and-white-haired exorcist glanced over at Shiori's sleeping form. "I don't know if she should go see him until he's better."

"I think she'd be too upset," Allen agreed with a sigh. "She got used to a lot after becoming an exorcist, but she might not be able to take the news..."

"Maybe Bak could put it past her," Krory wondered. "If we told her to stay away from Kisho until he's better, then she'd just argue." Shiori twitched in her sleep and made a growling noise in her throat.

"What in the world..." Allen muttered. Krory shrugged.

"Chasing something in her dreams, maybe?" He guessed.

"Maybe," Allen said, raising his eyebrows at Shiori. "If...I don't know..." The young man trailed off uncomfortably and didn't speak for a moment. Then he shook his head in confusion. "I've never heard of a way for someone to survive the virus this long without Miranda."

* * *

><p>Bak checked Lavi's vitals, then switched out the old IV bag that was giving him fluids for a new one. He thought that Lavi would wake up in another day, and knew that when he did he'd be weak and probably hungry. Bak pulled the covers back over Lavi's upper body and turned when he heard quick footsteps approaching. He knew the sound of the footfalls and wasn't surprised when Fo grabbed his shoulders. Her face was tense.<p>

"Bak, they're here," she told him urgently. "I'm holding them off for now. I told them that I had to go get you before they saw anyone, but..."

"It made them wonder," Bak guessed, shaking his head.

"Especially Shiori," Fo muttered irritably. "She's starting to work herself into a breakdown. So, what do we do?" Fo and Bak glanced briefly at the bed where Kisho had been resting until recently.

"I'll go see them," Bak said steadily. "Watch Lavi for me." Fo sat down on the small chair next to Lavi's bed and Bak turned and nodded at her as he left. He traveled quickly through the halls and arrived at the entrance. He took in a breath when he saw Allen leaning against a wall with his arms folded. Krory and Lenalee were standing near each other while Shiori was pacing off to one side. Bak cleared his throat quietly, but since none of them were talking, they heard and looked up quickly. Shiori and Lenalee ran towards Bak, and right away they noticed a white strip of bandage on the left side of his face.

"How are they doing?" Lenalee asked, and Bak glanced at her and felt his face burning a little. Allen caught the man's eye and his mouth turned up slightly but he didn't say anything. Bak had been thinking about what to say while on his way to meet them, and he put on an encouraging smile now and nodded.

"Lavi is recovering well. He's sleeping now, but I just took him off the anesthetic so he should wake up soon...in a day, I think." Lenalee smiled sideways at Shiori and got a half-smile in return.

"What about Kisho?" Lenalee asked softly. Allen watched Bak's reaction closely; a strange look came over his face, but he quickly smiled and nodded.

"He needs a little more time to recover," Bak told the group. "I moved him to another place where he can rest. He shouldn't have visitors right now."

"What happened, Bak?" Lenalee asked, concerned, having noticed the bandage on his face. Bak's face tinged a little redder. "Are you alright?"

"This?" He asked, touching the bandage. "It's nothing," he said after a pause. "Just an accident," he offered as explanation when Lenalee frowned at him.

"Can we see Lavi?" Shiori asked slowly, cringing slightly. Krory and Lenalee threw her a surprised look but Shiori purposely kept her eyes fixed on Bak.

"You can, but not for too long. You won't be able to talk to him for a couple days, remember."

"I know," Lenalee said. "We just want to see him." Bak turned and gestured for the group to follow.

"That's fine," he said briskly, then turned and strode off towards the Infirmary. When they were almost there, Allen put his hand on Bak's shoulder and pulled him gently away from the others. "Go on ahead," Bak said, and when Lenalee, Krory, and Shiori had gone inside the Infirmary, he faced Allen and waited.

"Bak, what's really happening? Krory and I talked about it on the way here." Bak watched Allen warily, waiting for him to finish. "It's not normal for the virus to do anything but kill a person instantly." Bak sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I thought you'd bring it up," he muttered, crossing his arms. "Kisho's...not getting better." The man met Allen's eyes sharply. "Something's wrong with him. The virus is affecting him in a strange way."

"Like how?" Allen questioned, making sure to keep his voice low. He could hear Lenalee talking inside the Infirmary, and heard Fo answering back. Bak massaged his forehead.

"His body is changing. He had black stars all over his body to begin with, but now there's only one. It's on his forehead. Just like..." Bak trailed off and something flickered in his eyes, something he couldn't say in words because he wasn't sure about it yet. Allen caught the look and felt a jolt.

"Like an Akuma." Bak nodded once, gravely. "Then...what's happening? He can't be...turning into one, can he?"

"I don't know. But it wasn't safe to keep him in the Infirmary." Bak's expression clouded and he suddenly looked stressed and guilty. Allen took a breath and spoke softly.

"Aside from the virus, how is he doing?"

"There's no cure for the virus," Bak said, hesitating slightly, "but I told Samo to fix up his injuries. He did, and Toma helped, but after that Kisho started showing signs of being like an Akuma...the black star on his forehead, his body changing...and he also started to become violent." Bak looked away and held both hands to his head. Then he pointed to the left side of his face where the bandage was. He hesitated. "He had some strange injuries that I have no idea how he got. I went to check on him before I took him away from here, and there was blood all over his pillow. His forehead was cut, and his face, and he had a huge lump on the back of his head, like something hit him. I fixed those up, no problem, but I just don't know how he got hurt."

"What's that?" Allen asked after a pause. "How did you get it?"

"It's just a scratch," Bak murmured, looking away.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"...Kisho," Bak muttered after a second. "It was after he started to change...some Akuma's hands are kind of clawed...that's what happened to his hands. I avoided the worst of the attack. He's still weak so I got him under control. After that, all I thought about was getting him away from Lavi, so I...put him somewhere...secure." There was a strange catch in Bak's voice that made Allen uneasy. He stepped forward and gripped Bak's shoulders.

"Where is he?" Bak reluctantly met Allen's eyes.

"I had Laboratory six unsealed...he's there." Allen let go of Bak's shoulders and stared at him with a dismayed expression.

"The place where..." He muttered sharply. "Is he there alone?"

"He's alone now, but I left a Golem down there so we can check on him. It's busy around here, but I've been able to check on him a couple times. No change in his condition, though." Bak folded his arms and gripped them tightly. "This happened a little while before you got here. The medicine I gave him kept him asleep...he started changing but it was still affecting him. He's stable, except for the virus. I had time to go back there just once before you all got here. He'd calmed down and was sleeping." Bak shook his head and broke Allen's gaze. "I couldn't just have him killed...even though there's probably nothing that can be done."

"He can't escape from there, can he?" Allen questioned, causing Bak to look back at him.

"No. Fo and I sealed it off again after we left." Allen closed his eyes and tried not to think of the inside of that place. "The only way he can get out is if we let him out," Bak continued slowly, guilt still showing in his eyes. "Even if he tries to break his way out...even if he is really turning into an Akuma...he won't be able to escape." The man crossed his arms tightly and Allen thought hard for a moment.

"Let me go see him." Bak shook his head vehemently.

"No," he refused firmly. "I don't know how strong he is, but that doesn't matter. You'd still be in danger." Allen looked straight at Bak and held his hands out.

"I want to see him...I can't see souls anymore, but I can still sense them. I'll be able to tell if he's really turning into an Akuma, too."

"I said no, Allen," Bak said snappishly, fatigue and anxiety spilling over into anger. "I can't let you go down there. Kisho's not stable now by any means." The man's tone was adamant and a deep frown was on his face. Allen shook his head, unwilling to change his mind. He took a step closer to Bak and looked firmly at him.

"Bak, listen to me. Let me go see him, just once. I'll be able to figure out what's happening with him, and you can't just trap him in there forever. Eventually you'll have to do something. You'll have to explain what happened to him sooner or later."

"Allen," Bak stated warningly, but the exorcist could tell his resolve was starting to cave.

"I told you—I can't see souls anymore, but I know I'll be able to figure something out. I'll be able to talk to him. Take me there, now. You don't want to have him killed, and I know you don't want to just leave him there to die." Bak closed his eyes tightly. "Bak, come on! Which death is worse? If I see that I can't do anything..." Allen took a deep breath and let it out in a tense sigh. "If he can't be helped...then I'll kill him."

"Allen..." Bak was shaking his head back and forth quickly. "I can't ask you to do that."

"No one's ever had to ask, Bak," Allen told him firmly, his eyes pained but determined. "No one had to tell me either. I'm an exorcist." Bak ground his teeth and glowered at Allen, but there was still a touch of guilt in the depths of his eyes. "Kisho might still be Kisho," Allen said, his eyes narrowing, "but if he's not, then I'll do my job."

"I put him down there," Bak muttered darkly, turning away and clenching his fists so hard that the veins stood out against his arms. "I made him suffer even more." Allen grabbed Bak's shoulder and squeezed it tightly.

"You did the best thing under the circumstances. You were trying to protect everyone here, Bak. You also were trying to help Kisho. He wouldn't want to hurt anyone."

"I know...but who will understand that?" Again Bak closed his eyes and looked away.

"I do, and Komui will. And what about Fo?" Bak folded his arms. "She helped you get him down there, didn't she?"

"No matter how many times she tells me I'm an idiot, she's never abandoned me," Bak said quietly, smiling faintly. "Even if my decisions might really be foolish." With a sigh, the man faced Allen. He seemed surer of himself now, for although his expression was still uncertain, it had a slight determination to it. "I'll take you to the laboratory. I can unseal it. Since the Third Exorcist program, I never wanted to open it again, but I had to. I didn't have a choice."

"If I can save him, I'll try," Allen stated. Bak moved closer to Allen and spoke in a low, urgent tone.

"I know. But if you can't...then we need to get the Innocence from his blood. Even the small amount is useful." Bak quickly looked away.

"The Noah did this," Allen told him sternly. "Not you, or anyone else." Bak swallowed and nodded.

"Let's go." Allen followed Bak in silence through the winding, confusing corridors of the Asia Branch. A couple of times, they had to backtrack, though Allen suspected that Bak was hesitant about taking him to the laboratory, but didn't blame him. After a while, Bak led Allen down a corridor deep in the Asia Branch that was lit just enough for them to make out faint shapes. It was chilly down here, and the silence was thick, and Allen found himself hearing things that probably weren't there. Bak motioned for Allen to stop, then stepped forward and pressed his right palm into middle of the large double doors. A second later, a sliver of light ran down the middle of them and slowly they cracked open. When they had opened just enough for a person to squeeze through, they stopped moving, and Allen moved forward warily when Bak gestured to him. Inside, Allen couldn't make out much, since it was as dark as the corridor outside. He turned sharply when the doors inched shut behind him. A muffled thud echoed through the dark, empty room. Strange objects and tall structures loomed out of the darkness and Bak walked in a straight line through the room, not looking at any of them.

Allen followed and saw something on a slightly raised platform in from of them, and realized that the ground was raised; he and Bak had to step up to get close enough to the thing on the ground. Even in the dim light, once Allen was close enough, he recognized what he was seeing. Kisho was lying still on a rolling hospital bed, and a blanket covered him up to his chest. His right arm was on top of the covers and a plastic bag with clear fluid inside was hooked up to a stand, and a needle connected to the bag had been inserted into a vein on the top of his hand. A piece of white tape was wound around his hand to keep the needle in place.

"After experiments," Bak explained quietly, "people would be treated here." He let the silence take over for a moment, then took a breath and spoke, sounding distracted. "I brought new supplies from the Infirmary for him." Allen looked down at Kisho and saw, even in the dark, a five-pointed star on his forehead. Unlike the now-absent pentacle on Allen's face, this one was black, and two points were facing upward, instead of just one. The exorcist concentrated while still letting Bak's voice in. Allen's head stabbed with pain unexpectedly and he grunted in discomfort. "What happened?" He heard Bak ask, but didn't answer right away.

Allen didn't sense the soul of an Akuma inside Kisho, and yet, there was something there. He'd been infected by the blood virus. A wisp of the Akuma's power was inside him instead of a human soul. And he could sense it knew the virus was there, and was trying to destroy it. He couldn't tell which substance would eventually win. "Allen?" Bak asked, shaking his shoulders firmly, and Allen discovered that he'd closed his eyes and was holding his head, which ached slightly.

"I'm fine," he told Bak, grimacing a bit, and took a deep breath. "There's no other soul in his body, but the blood virus is there. The Innocence is trying to destroy it." Bak let go of Allen's arm and glanced down at Kisho's still body.

"Like antibodies getting rid of a disease," Bak muttered quietly. "Do you know if there's anything we can do?"

"I don't," Allen admitted reluctantly, shaking his head. "It's faint, but I sense the power of Akuma. He's becoming more like one...just slowly, but the virus is trying to copy itself. If it does, it'll get stronger." The two males jolted slightly and moved away when Kisho's eyelids lifted suddenly. The person blinked once, then opened his eyes wider and turned his head towards Allen. Bak squeezed Allen's shoulder in warning when the exorcist took a step closer.

"Be careful," he warned, shaking his head.

"It's alright," Allen murmured, meeting Bak's gaze for a moment. "He doesn't seem violent now."

"...Still, be careful. Watch his behavior. I don't know how he's awake...I gave him medicine to keep him asleep." Allen nodded and moved closer to Kisho, then reached over and touched his left hand.

"Kisho. It's Allen." Kisho's mouth moved a couple times, as if he was trying to say his friend's name, but each time only moans came out. Allen leaned closer to Kisho suddenly and Bak tensed.

"Allen, wait," Bak cautioned, about to stop Allen, but the exorcist shook his head.

"Quiet for a minute." Kisho's moans had started to form more understandable words, but he still had to strain to be able to make them out.

"Ba...Ba...k..."

"Bak?" Allen guessed, and Kisho turned his head slowly towards him, and moved his head down once in nod. Hesitantly Bak met Allen's gaze and furrowed his brow worriedly. Kisho's left arm moved out from under the covers. Weakly, Kisho tried to lift his hand, but didn't appear able to. His fingers twitched across the covers and moved towards Bak, who reluctantly took held his hand between his own hands.

_I'm sorry._ Allen jolted sharply and Bak glanced at him.

"What?" Allen stared, taken aback, at Kisho, then at Bak and shook his head.

"He talked to me with his thoughts. He said he's sorry."

"For...what?" Bak asked, puzzled, gazing at Kisho with a bewildered expression. Allen shrugged lightly.

"I don't know." Bak touched the bandage on his face and, against his instincts, knelt closer to to Kisho. A moment later he felt the Finder's fingers gently press into the left side of his face. He saw that they had reverted back to normal somehow; the Akuma blood had made his body start changing to that of an Akuma, and his hands had become the claws of a Level Two Akuma. Bak studied Kisho's hand. His nails were broken and his hands were scratched and flecked with dried blood; the result of Kisho transforming earlier.

_Forgive...me. Let me heal you.._

"He wants you to forgive him," Allen told Bak. "And he wants to heal you." Bak pushed Kisho's hand away and reached into a bag he had slung over his shoulders. He cleaned off Kisho's hands and bandaged them, something he felt guilty for not doing earlier even though there just hadn't been time or opportunity. "He sounds...normal," Allen noticed, looking at Bak with a puzzled expression. "Weak, but he doesn't sound like an Akuma."

"He has moments where he's calm...Akuma aren't always violent," Bak ventured, and held Kisho's clammy hand for a second. "If the human side is stronger, they don't attack all the time." Kisho tried to pull his hand free from Bak's grasp, but the man squeezed his hand and put it down. "You can't heal me now. I'd get the virus from you if you tried. Do you understand me?" Kisho's eyes looked desperately at Bak, but he didn't object when the man put his hand back under the covers. Kisho's eyes slowly slid shut and he appeared to fall asleep. Bak stood, turned sharply, and started to walk away, his expression clouded. Allen followed closely beside him, waiting for him to say something.

"If the virus is fighting against the Innocence in his blood..." He wondered aloud, chewing on his lip, "Could Innocence could destroy the virus?"

"Krory can break the virus down and purify it. But what way did you have in mind? We can't ask Krory to help—he'd be infected too." Allen asked curiously, breaking his gaze from Kisho as he caught up with Bak, who stopped and turned to look him in the eye.

"A transfusion could help," Bak answered. "He needs it. I was going to use blood that we had stored here but I haven't had time yet." Allen crossed his arms, then stared at his left hand.

"You think that Innocence blood might destroy the virus." Bak nodded.

"It just came to me. It could work, but I'm not completely sure."

"He will become an Akuma soon," Allen said in a subdued tone. "If he does, then I'd want to try and modify him." Bak's eyes widened in shock.

"Like Cross did with Sachiko and the others?" Allen nodded firmly.

"Exactly like that."

"Allen...do you even know how he did it?" Bak asked sharply, shaking his head in disbelief.

"No, I don't, but—well..." Bak interrupted and held up his hands.

"That would put you in danger," he said firmly, fixing Allen with a stern gaze, warning him not to press the subject. "I'll give him a transfusion and see if it helps."

"I could give him blood," Allen offered. "Do it before Lenalee and I go on the mission."

"Lenalee's going on a mission with you?" Bak repeated in alarm. "How'd she...does Komui...?" He stuttered out, wide-eyed.

"Well..." Allen said, grinning slyly. "Komui knows, but Lenalee told him that she only wanted to check on Lavi and Kisho." He shook his head and laughed quietly. "Then the next thing I know, she tells me she's coming on the mission whether I like it or not."

"We're dead if he finds out," Bak muttered, shaking his head, but he was smiling. He looked seriously at Allen suddenly. "But speaking of secrets...you've never told anyone about the pictures...right?" Bak asked with only a small hint of nervousness in his eyes. Allen held up his hands.

"I wouldn't do that," he chuckled. "Komui would get mad at me, too, for knowing and not saying anything." Bak gave Allen a look and smiled warningly.

"All the more reason not to say anything, don't you think?"

"Well, I don't think Samo wants to treat another one of your spaz attacks," Allen sneered, and Bak glowered at him. "Anyway...about the donation...how much blood would you need?"

"Not too much," Bak answered, then crossed his arms. "The blood one person donates can help several people."

"It can?" Allen questioned, raising his eyebrows in interest. Bak nodded. "Could you do it now?"

"No. You'd need rest after donating. A mission would be too much for you after that."

"But..." Allen stared over at Kisho. "Can he wait that long?"

"I'll give him a transfusion of normal blood. He lost some blood, so it'll help. That's all I can do for now." He sighed and gestured towards the door. "There aren't many options...we'll just try what we can." Bak trailed off. "We should go now." Allen nodded once, a bit reluctantly, but he followed Bak out of the laboratory and kept his eyes on the far end of the room where Kisho was until the double doors had been sealed up by Bak once again.

* * *

><p><strong>It sounded like I was making a public service announcement about donating blood at the end there...haha. Speaking of donating blood, though, I'm glad that I'm living in a time where medical procedures have come a long way. Blood donating in the 19th Century looked pretty hit-and-miss (but it's better at the Black Order since they have smart researchers and good doctors...even though Komui is also a scary doctor...) since they didn't know much about safety procedures and blood typing, although the progress they made was pretty interesting. Still, even though I'm glad I can donate blood, I don't exactly get really excited about it even today. I'm slightly needle-phobic.<strong>

**I might try writing original fiction someday, but I think writing on Fanfiction is helping me get gradually better at writing. It's definitely fun. Sometimes I get writer's block but I just try to force myself to keep writing at those times. I've gotten more writer's block lately since it's become so nice outside. The beginning of May, and it's just stared to get warm. 'Bout darn time. Then again, I remember one June where a snowstorm knocked out power throughout the whole town. I dunno. Crazy weather does what it wants.**

**Now about the story. I've been giving the characters a hard time...but with luck it'll be cleared up for them soon. Hmm...I think I am pretty mean to them sometimes. I don't know if what I've been writing lately counts as drama, but I think I'm trying to focus on the different characters' reactions to all of the situations I bring up. It's fun to work with the existing characters and to work with my own characters too. Thanks to all of you for sticking with me as always! Have a good summer!**


	4. Secret

**Sometimes I think the way I write missions is bad, and boring, too. But I do my best. I'm starting to like fighting scenes now. Whether or not I'm good at writing fighting scenes remains to be seen, but I try to make the exorcists sound awesome and nonchalant about cleaning house.**

**This story won't be as long as Howling Innocence, but it'll be a bit long...or as long as I feel I need to make it. Thanks for reading, as always. :)**  
><strong>I don't own D. Gray Man or the characters Hoshino Katsura made up; I only own mine.<strong>

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><p>Secret<p>

_I'm glad I decided to go on this mission,_ Lenalee thought, satisfied, as she slashed the heel of her right foot across a floating Level One Akuma. She had chosen last-minute to follow Allen and help with his mission, and knew that no one would ever tell, since hardly anyone knew. Lenalee abruptly dropped out of the sky to avoid the resulting explosion as the Akuma was destroyed. Then she sprinted lightly across the ground towards Allen and attacked the Level Two Akuma from behind. It had the appearance of a humanoid demon with dark wings, and the two exorcists had already been given a lot of trouble by it. When the Akuma flapped its wings, it sent feathers flying towards them—feathers that became sharp and deadly projectiles that sometimes were too quick to see until they were just about to hit. Lenalee sent a flying kick towards it the same moment Allen slashed it with his sword, and the Akuma collapsed to the ground and was finished off by Lenalee. The two exorcists dispatched the remaining Level Ones and Twos with little difficulty, even though they had both been injured. The demon-angel hybrid Akuma had sent hundreds of sharp feathers at them, and even though it was a Level Two, they hadn't been able to avoid all of them.

Lenalee and Allen retreated into a sheltered alleyway and Allen looked Lenalee over while she did the same for him. A sharp feather had grazed his left calf and another had struck his lower back but not too deeply. He'd sensed that feather wasn't too deep and that it was alright to pull it out himself, but it had fallen out sometime without him noticing and luckily it hadn't bled too much, but another was deep in his right shoulder and he'd left that one alone. Lenalee had one stuck in her left arm and her body had been slashed by countless other feathers. Both of the exorcists were covered with scratches and bumps, and would likely have several bruises appearing in the near future. They were exhausted but had to locate their Finder, the Innocence, and get medical help before all that.

"We'd better get somewhere safe," Lenalee told Allen urgently, and he nodded in agreement. "We still need to find the Innocence before the Akuma do." Two days earlier Lenalee and Allen had arrived in the city of the mission site, and since then had gone through the whole place, seeking out Akuma and destroying them. Today they'd cleaned up a few more Akuma and made a few more sweeps of the city to make sure they were all gone, and it seemed that they finally were. Now they just had to rest up, get healed, and find the Innocence. Lenalee tensed as a shape came towards them from the shadows of the alley, but then she saw that it was their Finder, a thirty-so year old woman named Pei-Yu. Her eyes were sharp and set into a slightly rounded face, and dark medium-length hair framed it. "You're alright!" Lenalee exclaimed, relieved. When the Akuma had appeared, the Finder had fended them off for a while, but had been forced to flee when the fighting became intense. That had been a day and a half ago, and the group had been separated ever since then. Allen was relieved to see that she was uninjured. She was a Finder who wore bandages over her face, though, even though she wasn't injured. The first day Allen had met a Finder was two years ago, and when he'd been out of earshot he'd asked Lavi later why they wore them, and if they all had been hurt, but Lavi had explained with a shrug that they just wore what they liked on and under their uniforms. He had theorized that maybe some of them wore bandages to keep their features hidden so they wouldn't be easily recognized, but not many people wore banages unless they were injured, so he didn't understand if that was the reason.

"I've been searching the city," Pei-Yu said, panting slightly, "and I haven't come across any other Akuma. It seems the city's clear now." The woman's face was covered by bandages but her eyes were smiling. "Well done, you two." She caught sight of the exorcist's injuries as she moved closer, and her eyes lit up with sympathy. "Let's get going. There's a doctor not too far from here, and I met him a few days ago. He knows what we're doing, and he'll be happy to help." Allen and Lenalee nodded and followed Pei-Yu stiffly, their injuries making it hard for them to move normally. The female Finder led them through the back alley and out onto another street. From there she walked diagonally across the street a ways and then into a medium-sized building that looked more like a house. "Come in," she said, gesturing, and they did, if a little reluctantly. Once inside, the female Finder called out something, and a man dressed in a light blue shirt and black pants appeared. Pei-Yu spoke quickly in Chinese, and the man nodded and gestured for the group to follow. They headed into a room big enough for a small group of people to gather in. Two beds sat on the far side of the room across from each other. The man they had guessed to be a doctor gestured for them to sit down on the beds; Allen tried to help Lenalee sit down on the bed located on the right side of the room, but she shook her head with a smile showing that she was grateful anyway, so he headed over to the remaining bed and sat down gingerly.

Pei-Yu spoke to the doctor again and he nodded, then moved towards Allen and examined him. He carefully examined his left leg with the slash wound, then looked a the feather stuck in his back and shook his head as he studied it. Pei-Yu approached Lenalee and spoke softly to her, telling her that she was going to pull out the feather, since it wasn't very deep. Lenalee nodded and tried not to make a noise when the Finder carefully pulled it out and firmly pressed a clean towel to it. When the towel had stopped soaking up blood, she carefully lifted it away and began cleaning the area. Once she was done she numbed the wound site and a short while later began stitching it up, then began treating her various other cuts and injuries. Lenalee was feeling better already, and since most of the injuries she'd gotten were on the front of her body, Pei-Yu told her it was fine if she stretched out on the bed. Lenalee sighed and did so gratefully.

Allen, meanwhile, was starting to feel a little nervous, since the doctor had just been staring at him without saying a word. _"Is everything alright?"_ He asked, using the bit of Chinese he knew, and the doctor looked momentarily surprised before giving a hesitating nod. Lenalee raised her eyebrows, looking impressed that Allen had spoken Chinese. Then she stifled a giggle as the doctor began speaking quickly, and saw that Allen was looking clueless. Lenalee got Allen's attention by waving a hand at him.

"He says that he wants to put you under so he can fix you up. The feather in your back is too deep to just yank out like I did with Lenalee." Allen suppressed a wince and nodded.

"Alright…." He said skeptically, not liking where things were going. "How's he going to do that?"

"Acupuncture….but he doesn't have to!" Pei-Yu said quickly when Allen narrowed his eyes adamantly. "He has herbs and other medicines that can dull pain. But I have medicine I can use if you'd prefer." Allen nodded.

"That'd be great," he said, wincing as his injuries throbbed; he wasn't in the mood to have needles stuck into his body or herbs tried out on him.

Allen watched her turn to the doctor and explain calmly, and he hesitated, then nodded. Allen hoped he wasn't offended, but he just waited as Pei-Yu cleaned Allen's arm with a swab, and got out a needle and a small bottle from a protective case in her pack and stuck the needle into the bottle, then pulled the plunger up and filled the syringe with the liquid inside it. Pei-Yu lowered the needle towards Allen's arm and he focused on her reply and ignored the sting of the needle.

"It'll help with your pain. It's anesthetic." The woman withdrew the needle and put it back into the case along with the bottle, and returned it to her bag. "Just relax now. It'll be fine." Allen looked at the ceiling and sighed. As the time went by, he felt himself getting drowsy, and realized finally how tired he was after he and Lenalee had run all over the city fighting Akuma without much rest. Soon he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Allen had dreams, but couldn't see anything except sudden strange flashes of light, and unsettling feelings made him wonder what was going on, but he abruptly woke up in the darkness. No one else seemed to be around, though he thought he could hear someone breathing nearby and remembered that it was probably Lenalee in the bed next to him, but he couldn't see her in the darkness. Allen tried to turn over, but was too tired, and doubted it would be a good idea, anyway. He felt and heard his stomach growl but couldn't find the strength to get up. He let his eyes drift shut and found himself dozing off once again, and when he woke, it was light outside. He yawned, and when he looked around he saw someone standing over him. "Hey," she said with a smile, and he jumped slightly but realized who it was and where he was.

"Lenalee?" He asked. "How are your injuries?"

"Fine. Pei-Yu told me they're healing well. Just before you woke up she checked yours and changed the bandages. You're healing fine, too, of course." Allen pushed his hands into the bed and sat up. "Did you get enough sleep?" Allen still felt tired but knew they had to find the Innocence. They'd lost enough time already.

"I'm fine. We should go and look for the Innocence now." Lenalee's eyes brightened as if she'd remembered something.

"Pei-Yu told me she found its signal earlier. We should be able to find it soon." Allen saw Lenalee hesitate and bite her lip. "Are you sure you're well enough to be walking around?" He nodded impatiently and sat up, then swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood slowly.

"I'm sure," he responded, swaying only a little after standing. "Let's go talk to Pei-Yu."

"We should thank the doctor before we leave," Lenalee reminded him, and Allen nodded in agreement.

"That's right. Good idea. He helped us out a lot." With Lenalee helping in case Allen swayed, they headed out into the hall and towards the front of the clinic together and saw Pei-Yu talking quietly to the doctor. When they got closer, the two people turned slowly towards them as if they'd known they would be coming down soon.

"Allen, Lenalee," Pei-Yu greeted them. "Are you feeling better?" The two exorcists nodded.

"Much better. Thanks. _Thank you,_" he said, and both the doctor and Pei-Yu smiled. The doctor said something. Both Pei-Yu and Lenalee laughed.

"He says your Chinese is good," Lenalee explained. Allen frowned humorously when they laughed.

"Did he really say that? You all think it's bad, don't you?"

"Well, your accent needs work…but no, it's not bad," Lenalee said encouragingly.

"Anyway….let's get going," Allen said, feeling a sense of urgency to complete the mission. Pei-Yu became serious and nodded once, then turned to the doctor and explained what was going on.

"I wonder if Lavi's woken up by now," Lenalee wondered out loud. "And Kisho. I hope they're at least doing better."

"Me too. We never got a chance to call and ask, did we…" Lenalee shook her head but was looking optimistic. The mission had kept them busy from worrying too much about them. They _were_ worried, but if they wanted to get back and see them, then they knew they had to focus. Allen and Lenalee thanked the doctor gratefully after Pei-Yu finished speaking to him, and he nodded appreciatively as they left. Once outside, Allen, Lenalee, and Pei-Yu began wandering through the city towards where the Finder had said the Innocence was. As they walked through the streets, Allen became aware of a strange sensation—one of familiarity that made his body tingle with warmth. Even though it wasn't worrying him, since he felt fine otherwise, the sensation was still puzzling him.

"Is it nearby?" Pei-Yu looked around questioningly. "The Innocence," he explained, and the Finder's expression lifted understandingly, but Allen fought back a sigh. Pei-Yu was a good doctor, and a good Finder, but there were moments where she seemed to be a bit absent-minded; sometimes she needed prompting to remind her what she was doing.

"Oh…yes, it is close," she replied, sounding distant as she glanced back ahead. "I came this far," she said, gesturing to where they were now, "and then I left to find you." Allen wondered if there would have been Finders if the exorcists had been able to locate Innocence, and thought that there probably wouldn't have been. All of the Finders would have had normal lives, with little or no idea about exorcists, like most people. He wondered how the early Black Order had first gathered everyone up and started an organization. It was too difficult a question, one not easily answered unless Allen could go back in time. There was no way to travel back in time, though, and no record of any exorcist having Innocence with that power. Miranda was the one that had the most control over time, but not ever her power could take people back in time, not that anyone knew, at least.

"Allen?" Lenalee touched her friend's shoulder and he jumped out of his reverie. "Sorry," she apologized guiltily, "but Pei-Yu said this is where…" Movement made Allen turn his head from Lenalee and look straight in front of them. Alarm jolted through him. That female Broker—Kisho's mother, or so he thought—was standing in what appeared to be the town center. She was staring right back at Allen and her right hand was slightly raised towards him, and resting in her palm was something that almost made his heart stop.

"Do you want this?" She called softly. Lenalee and Pei-Yu heard and glanced towards her. Expressions of dismay spread across their features. "I won't do anything to it. I found it, but hoped some of you would be around." Allen stepped forward quickly, but was driven back when a shadow fell over him, and an explosion burned the ground where he'd been standing.

"You knew we'd be around, more like!" Lenalee uncovered her face and yelled after the explosion had died down. Pei-Yu was gaping in astonishment at the fact that they weren't hurt from the explosion, and Allen felt similarly, but sensed that the Akuma had intended to miss. It was a Level Two, an angel-looking one like the previous Akuma, except that this one had white wings. He also noted, with some disgust, that it was standing placidly next to the Broker. "Did you talk to Hyun-Ae again? What'd she tell you now?" She asked furiously, and Pei-Yu's expression sharpened with interest.

"Hyun-Ae? She's still with you?" The Broker asked quietly, but had a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "She told me she was leaving."

"She's not an exorcist anymore. She was made to leave."

"She just told me that she couldn't be around you anymore." There was a pause. "We've spoken together quite a number of times."

"About _what_?" Lenalee shouted, and Allen sucked in a breath, then put his hands on her shoulders. He was surprised when she clasped both of his hands in hers.

"I eventually found out that Kisho was still alive…" the female Broker said, "and that Hyun-Ae knew him. I asked her about him."

"What did you ask her?" Allen demanded.

"About what was happening with him, how he was getting along at The Black Order." The woman sighed heavily, almost in relief, it seemed to Allen. "I never thought they'd save his life, and I would destroy it." Allen, Lenalee, and Pei-Yu exchanged glances—Pei-Yu looked more startled than them since it was news to her that Kisho's mother was a Broker. "How is he?" She asked, and the three people glanced back at her.

"You want to know, so hand that over first," Allen demanded firmly, and after a moment, the woman raised her right hand higher.

"Something happened, didn't it? I'll give you this. Please tell me." Allen's eyes narrowed as he shot the Akuma next to the Broker a glance. "She won't do anything. She wants to be destroyed. Her sister was also an Akuma, but recently was killed—thanks to you two, I presume." Allen ground his teeth and slowly held up his hands, and right after he did, the woman lifted her arm over her head and threw the Innocence to him. The Akuma next to her twitched as the glowing cube flew towards Allen, but she gave it a look that made it stand still again. After catching the Innocence, Allen stowed it away and transformed his left arm. In an instant he closed the gap between the him and the Akuma. Allen sliced through the Akuma with his clawed left hand and grabbed the Broker's collar with his right.

"_What happened to us was an accident." _Allen jolted as a voice entered his mind. "_Thank you….Allen, right?"_

"Right," he answered, a little taken aback that the Akuma had used his name. "Be at peace now." When the Akuma's soul faded away, Allen reverted his left hand back to normal and turned his attention completely on the Broker. Both of his hands clenched her collar firmly now. "My best friend is in a coma, and your son is going to become one of them." He pointed with his left hand at the spot the Akuma had been. "Hyun-Ae told you where their mission was, and you told the Noah."

"I didn't."

"Then who did?" Allen demanded angrily. "Did they just eavesdrop on you, or what?"

"Is that really true?" The Broker asked, ignoring the question. She sounded skeptical, but Allen could feel that her body was still tensed with apprehension. "The Earl told me...that they'd leave him alone." The woman's expression was distraught. "But you say they're...trying to turn him?"

"They're suceeding as far as I'm concerned," Allen told her shortly. He could still see Kisho in his mind, screaming in pain as his body started to change...as he started to change into an Akuma. Allen had been

"She told me about Kisho and an exorcist named Krory. She told me all about what Kisho could do, and how she knew his blood could destroy Dark Matter. She knew about Krory and about how he could destroy Akuma by using his blood, that he'd gotten the idea from him. I didn't know this would happen. I thought he was safe."

"Well, he's not." Allen wasn't convinced, but the woman was nodding insistently. "You're a Broker...and you thought by doing what you've done would make him safe?"

"Yes," she answered immediately, a bit defensive, it sounded. "I'm a Broker. I became one to protect Kisho. The Earl told me if I joined him, he wouldn't hurt him. But he...lied."

"What did he tell you?" Lenalee questioned dubiously, feeling some sympathy for the woman, but not enough to stop being sharp with her.

"He told me he'd leave my home alone if I joined him, so I did. But he found an Innocence there, and said that he'd changed his mind, and attacked the town without warning." Pei-Yu shook her head slowly. She eyed the spot where the Akuma used to be.

"If you aren't in the Earl's service anymore," she asked, "then why was that one with you?" The Broker sighed and looked down at the spot beside her.

"She found me and wanted to be set free."

"You could have gotten killed," Allen said, looking incredulously at the woman. "How would you see Kisho then?"

"I was confused." The Broker's expression became clouded. She trailed off; Lenalee and Pei-Yu exchanged quick glances. Allen suddenly released his grip on the woman's collar and jumped away from her. She could have a weapon hidden; she'd pulled a knife on Kisho the first time they'd encountered her. "I won't hurt you." The woman paused, then looked at her feet. "How is your friend doing?" Allen shook his head and didn't answer. "Lavi? That's his name, right?"

"Allen, let's go," Lenalee said, pulling on his arm a little. "We're done...and we shouldn't stay near her." She turned and started walking away, and Pei-Yu followed her, but Allen didn't move. He watched as the Broker began walking slowly towards him. When she was close enough she looked up as him; she was about a head shorter than Allen, almost the same height as Kisho.

"Tell Kisho something for me when he gets better."

"I don't know if I can," Allen told her in a low tone.

"Why not?" She asked, gazing steadily at the exorcist. Her expression was faintly unhappy.

"I might have to..." Allen sighed and put his left hand to his forehead. He lowered it and gazed at it for a few seconds. "I can try..." The Broker's eyes brightened slightly. Allen frowned. "...But I can't promise anything."

"That's all I wanted to hear," the woman sighed, and Allen's gaze darkened for a moment.

"What's your name?" He asked softly.

"Kasumi. Kisho never knew me; I left when he was too young to remember. All he knew were Shiori's parents, Tomoe and Masato. But they loved him and took care of him. I went back to see him a few times before the town was destroyed. I just wanted to see him, so I never showed myself to anyone. I never could stay for long since I had to work for the Earl, but just seeing that Kisho was happy was enough." Lenalee and Pei-Yu were too far away to hear what Kasumi or Allen were saying, but they waited for a few minutes, and then a few more. Sometimes Allen would talk back to the woman, and to Lenalee it seemed like he was asking questions. Just as she was getting impatient, Allen finally stepped away from the woman and walked calmly back.

"You're right," Allen told Lenalee with a little smile. "It's time to go back."

"What did she say?" Lenalee asked urgently. Pei-Yu was silent, but by the way her eyes were widened curiously, it was obvious she was interested.

"You talked to a Broker," she said in an awed whisper, and she seemed to be both impressed and intimidated. "Are you...friends?" Allen shook his head once, smiling faintly at that.

"Not...exactly...I'll tell you everything once we're on the train." The trio started walking, and Allen glanced behind him to look at the Broker, but she was nowhere to be seen. "We need to rest." Lenalee and Pei-Yu watched Allen with worried glances when he appeared to go deep into thought.

_How did Cross get Akuma to obey him? If I could find out how it'd buy some time._

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><p><strong>I am not currently reading the D. Gray Man manga, and I'm not that up-to-date on it either, so I don't know if Allen knows how to convert Akuma or not. I banked on the fact that he doesn't know. I can read it online but I'll just be honest with you guys: I'm pretty lazy. Great excuse, I know. Maybe I'll read it sometime, but it won't be before I finish writing this story. I've read some things about the Black Order and some things about characters, but that's about all I've done. Again, I'm lazy.<strong>

**Making up my own explanations for things has been a fun challenge. I like writing this story so I want to work hard on it. I think, if I ever wanted to write original fiction, writing fan fiction will help me get better at plot organization. I don't know how good you all think this story is but I am having a good time writing it.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	5. Reasoning

**Whoo, it's summer, and that means more chapters. I have a bunch lined up and I'm just going through and editing them now. That's almost as fun as writing, since it means the chapter's basically done, and that I can upload it.**

**Now to start off the chapter with one of my favorite characters, Lavi!**

**I don't own the characters or their names or Innocence or anything. Katsura Hoshino does.**

**Has anyone read any of the books of the D. Gray Man Novel, Reverse, by Kaya Kizaki and Katsura Hoshino? It's good, and pretty funny in parts. It's about Allen, Lavi (second volume), Kanda, Bak, and Komui before the manga started. It even has some stories by the creepy Earl too. No offense to Earl fans.** :)

* * *

><p><strong>Reasoning<strong>

Lavi rolled over in his infirmary bed and folded his arms behind his head. He was listening carefully for anyone nearby, and even for people out in the hall, but there was nothing to listen to. Kisho wasn't in the Infirmary anymore—he was recovering somewhere else—and there were no other patients in the Infirmary to talk to. _T__hat's good I guess, but it's too quiet, _the redhead thought with a long and bored sigh. _Time to get outta here. _Lavi pushed himself up gingerly, carefully slinging his legs over the bed, then stood and crept quietly through the room. There was no one inside or outside the Asia Branch Infirmary at the moment; it would be easy for him to sneak out and back in without being noticed.

Four days after the mission, Lavi had regained consciousness, only having been in a mild coma. Everyone had been relieved to see him awake and starting to recover. Upon waking up, Lavi had been a little confused to see so many people waiting by his bed, among them Lo Hua, Likei and Allen. Lo Hua had looked like she wanted to throw herself on Lavi in a relieved hug, but she had just stood, fidgeting a little, while she smiled and told him she was glad he was awake. Lavi was getting his strength back quickly, but had still been cautioned by Bak to rest for a while longer, which was not what he'd wanted to hear. Lavi was getting tired of lying around all day, even though his friends came to visit, so finally his impatience had made him decide to leave the Infirmary.

Lavi ground his teeth and stumbled, clenching both hands over his growling stomach. He was tired and hungry, but up until now, he'd been too tired to get out of bed. Lo Hua and Samo brought him food, but it was after lunch now and they might not be here for a while. Lavi knew he needed food now, though. Reaching the doorway, he paused for a moment to rest. His head felt light and color blotches clouded his vision for a few seconds. Lavi knew the weakness was from his hunger, not his injuries, so leaving the Infirmary wouldn't be a bad thing. Being waited on was actually more tiring than doing things himself even though he wasn't completely recovered yet. So—waiting a bit to see if someone was coming—Lavi glanced left and right once he arrived in the hall, and quickly set off while he was sure that the area was deserted.

Lavi navigated the Asia Branch's corridors without much difficulty, sometimes leaning against the walls when he felt dizzy, and shortly wound up at the cafeteria. He headed straight over to the ordering window and ordered teriyaki salmon with celery slices on top and a sweet roll. Someone had ordered an Italian soda with caramel the other day, and Lavi tried one too and instantly liked it, so he got one now with vanilla flavor. (This hadn't been the first time he'd snuck away from his bed, but this was the longest he'd been away so far.) Soon his food arrived and he thanked the elderly cook, then strode off to see if any of his friends were around. It didn't take him long to find Allen and Lo Hua, who was sitting across from Allen with a shy smile on her face. Allen was putting food away with his usual gusto and hadn't noticed the young woman's expression as she looked at him. Lavi grinned to himself, amused, and set his tray on the table while sitting down to the right of Lo Hua.

"Having a good time?" Lavi asked teasingly, and enjoyed their reactions—Lo Hua jumped and glanced at Lavi with a startled expression while Allen shot his friend an annoyed glare.

"When did you get here?" Lo Hua breathed, still surprised. "I didn't even hear you!"

"Sorry," Lavi apologized, but was grinning as he sat down. Allen had been slightly caught by surprise at Lavi's sudden appearance but he now looked glad to see him.

"Shouldn't you still be resting?" Allen asked with a teasing look, poking at his plate with a fork. Lavi shook his head and shrugged.

"What, are you going to to tell Bak that I'm here?" He grinned mischievously. "I've slept enough, and I'm starving." Lavi's grin faltered when he caught sight of the bandage on Allen's left arm. Gauze had been taped around the vein near the inside of his elbow. "That's..."

"From when I donated blood," Allen explained, having already been questioned a while ago by Lo Hua. "Bak gave Kisho a transfusion, and it made him a little better, so he's probably going to give him another one." Lavi put a forkful of salmon in his mouth and chewed it hungrily. Allen had picked his words carefully; Lo Hua didn't know all the details of what was wrong with Kisho, and she didn't know where he was, either. She just knew that he wasn't in the Infirmary because it was better that he recovered somewhere else.

"Good," Lavi mumbled around his mouthful of food, and he swallowed when Lo Hua gave him a slight look of scolding.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she said disapprovingly.

"Sorry," Lavi said, trying not to laugh, since he'd probably choke.

"I'd better get back to work, and you two should rest once you're done eating." Lo Hua eyed Allen and Lavi steadily. "Your injuries aren't going to get better unless you take it easy."

"We'll rest, don't worry," Allen told her with a smile. "And I'll make sure Lavi gets back to bed," he assured her. Lo Hua gave the exorcists a firm look, then turned and rushed off, happily satisfied that Allen was telling the truth.

"She doesn't know all of what's going on, does she?" Lavi asked, looking after Lo Hua a little regretfully.

"No, she doesn't," Allen agreed. "Not many do. Just you, me, Toma, Hyun-Ae, Samo, Bak and Fo." He thought for a second. "Lenalee and the others might be told later, but since we don't know how he'll pull through, we're trying not to spread around what's going on."

"I'm not going back to the Infirmary." Allen looked up as Lavi muttered aloud suddenly.

"I told Lo Hua you would. If you don't, she'll be upset." Allen grinned, and Lavi shrugged. "Plus, you're in a bad mood. I think it's time for your nap." Lavi glowered over at Allen, who stopped teasing him instantly, noticing that something was bothering his friend. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked carefully, looking closely at Lavi. He reached his left hand out to touch his shoulder, but Lavi pushed the hand away and shook his head.

"It should have been me," Lavi mumbled unexpectedly. "That way, I wouldn't be thinking about him this much." Allen took a breath and spoke levelly.

"Lavi, if it had been you, then we'd be trying to save you now. It would still be just as bad." Lavi's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles blanched. Then he laughed dryly and rested his arms on the table, leaning forward with a terse expression.

"He's a little idiot," Lavi growled, closing his eyes. "If it had been me, he'd be trying to help me, not thinking about consequences." Lavi's eyes opened abruptly and he glared fiercely at Allen, who gazed steadily back. "Let's just face it. He can't survive. And if he does, there'll always be danger because of him, or he won't be able to work the way he wants. He'll be too weak." Allen held Lavi's gaze and nodded with a sigh.

"You're right," Allen agreed with a nod. "And if he doesn't make it, then he won't be the first or last Finder to die." Lavi held Allen's gaze, his eyes sharp with warning. "He won't even be the first one to turn into an Akuma. Not many know that even Finders make mistakes sometimes." He sighed. "Listen. What I did wasn't much, but it could still save him." His eyes hardened when Lavi glowered angrily at him. Lavi eyed Allen's bandaged arm, then glanced away. "And if it doesn't work and he becomes an Akuma, then...then I'll try to convert him." Lavi froze, his chest clenching painfully, and he took a deep, angry breath, then let it out.

"Do you...remember Sachiko?" He hissed in an undertone. "I mean...well, she didn't die because she reverted back and had to be...but she wouldn't have stayed converted forever." Allen crossed his arms resolutely.

"Kisho got poisoned by Dark Matter. Innocence might be able to break it down, but if it doesn't, then..." Allen spoke carefully and tried to keep his voice steady. It was hard to keep Lavi's gaze when he had such a furious look on his face; when Lavi got angry, normally no one tried to push him. "I just think that he isn't the same as the other Akuma. The only soul in his body is his own. He didn't call a dead person back." Lavi narrowed his eyes.

"Did you tell Bak that?" He asked tersely. "What'd he think?"

"He thought I had a point," Allen replied, "but he doesn't know what would happen if I tried it."

"Since you don't know how, or even if you can," Lavi interrupted, looking concerned; Allen ignored him, but knew he was right. He didn't know how, or even it was possible for him. It wouldn't do to ask any of the Generals if they knew how Cross had done it; they were all busy travelling and looking for Accomodators. Allen was a General, too, but it seemed to be in title only since he hadn't ever been told that he could go journeying to find Accomodators. That didn't bother him, since he wouldn't feel right about leaving at the moment.

"Bak's going to go ahead with the transfusions. He thinks they'll help destroy the virus." Lavi shook his head and crossed his arms, looking uncertain.

"If he's becoming an Akuma, won't doing that hurt him?" Allen tapped his foot and thought a moment before answering. Bak had already asked Allen these questions, but he was still thinking hard about it, wondering if what he wanted to do would ultimately be worth it.

"He already has Innocence in his blood," Allen explained, "and it's fighting against the virus. Bak and I agreed that if he had more Innocence in his body, then he might be able to fight the virus better. His blood has broken down the virus before without him being hurt." Lavi turned his gaze towards the ceiling, then turned his green eyes on Allen again.

"...It's great if you're right and it works, that's all I can say. Because if he dies, then..." His gaze faltered and he looked away from Allen. "I'd feel like it was my fault...even though I'm not the one who shot him." Lavi put a hand to his head suddenly and wobbled a little; Allen stood and quickly walked towards him, then put both hands on his shoulders to steady him.

"You should get some more rest." Allen guided Lavi out of the cafeteria and led him down the hall. "Come on," he urged, and Lavi shuffled his feet along, trying to stay on his feet. "You're not as well as you thought. Next time I'll come and ask if you need anything, or send Timcampy."

"I'll just rest for a while...and don't send that crazy Golem to me," Lavi muttered, leaning on Allen as another dizzy spell overcame him. "He'll eat me." Allen nodded and smiled softly, wrapping his left arm around Lavi's waist while his right arm pulled his friend's arm around his shoulders.

"I don't know where Timcampy is, anyway, so that's fine." Allen guided Lavi to the Infirmary and walked him to his bed. He was about to help his friend get into his bed but Lavi suddenly pushed him away; Allen felt a little taken aback, but didn't say anything. He retreated a couple steps and watched Lavi carefully in case he got dizzy again.

"I got it," Lavi grunted, and settled under the covers. He stared at the ceiling until its spinning made him too nauseated, and finally he let his green eyes drift shut.

"You alright?" Allen asked quietly. Lavi shook his head drowsily.

"I'll be fine once I get some rest," he repeated tiredly.

"I'll come and check on you soon," Allen promised, but Lavi didn't answer; he was snoring lightly so Allen turned and left without making a sound. His left arm twinged in pain suddenly, and Allen flinched, the pain catching him by surprise. Donating blood hadn't taken more than a few minutes, and there hadn't been any problems, but Bak had told Allen that the needle site on his arm could bruise and be sensitive for a while afterward. Allen thought it had been long enough by now, so he unwrapped the bandage and crumpled them in his right fist while he looked at his arm. Allen remembered where the needle had gone in, and touched the spot lightly with a finger; a tiny sensation of pain ran through the area. He assumed there wasn't much bruising; his arm only hurt when touched. Allen squinted his eyes and looked closer. The only unusual color on his arm was the faint yellow stain of the iodine, barely noticeable because of the dark color of his left arm. With a shrug Allen made a mental note to wash the iodine off later.

He thought hard as he strode down the hall looking for Bak that he almost didn't notice him walk by. Turning abruptly Allen saw that Bak looked just as preoccupied as he probably had. Allen followed after Bak and called out to him. Bak turned, appearing to be startled, but he calmed when he saw Allen.

"Allen!" He sighed heavily. "I didn't see you."

"Same here. I was thinking." Bak motioned for Allen to come with him and they spoke as they walked.

"Do you know how Lavi is doing? It'll still be a while before he recovers." Allen winced inwardly at how Bak sounded; exhausted, and a little resigned.

"He's weak, still, and he just fell asleep." Allen paused for a moment. "I just talked to him about Kisho. He's upset."

"I see. That's understandable." Allen nodded quickly. "Kisho's condition hasn't changed much," Bak admitted, his face weary, "but he seems to be sleeping a little better. He had a fever a while ago, but it broke after the transfusion."

"Do you think he'll need more of them?" Allen questioned, noticing that Bak was leading him into the depths of the Asia Branch, towards the laboratory.

"Yes. Any time his condition gets worse," Bak answered. "But if it keeps getting worse, that means the transfusions aren't working."

"I could donate more," Allen offered, but Bak shook his head.

"You can't donate again for a while," he explained. "Your body still needs time to regenerate the blood you lost." Bak smiled, an eyebrow raised humorously. "You're an exorcist, but you have limits. I appreciate the offer, though, and I think Kisho would too."

"Will he get better?" Allen asked, though he wasn't sure why he had; from all he'd learned lately, it seemed the answer wouldn't be good.

"We'll just have to wait and see. I'm going to check on him now." Allen took a deep breath, causing Bak to glance at him curiously. With a troubled but firm expression he looked steadily at Bak.

"If he becomes an Akuma, I'm going to try and convert him. I just told Lavi."

"I've thought about that since you brought it up to me," Bak said with an apologetic glance at him, "but it's risky. It might not work. General Cross was the only one who could. And Kisho's not the same as a true Akuma." Bak sighed doubtfully, stopping just before the laboratory door, his expression unreadable because of the dark shadows in the hallway.

"Then I'll stop him...like I would any other Akuma." Bak closed his eyes and nodded. "I didn't say that...but Lavi knew anyway."

"If nothing else works, that will be our only option." He raised his right hand to the door and pressed it into the cool surface.

"Convincing Shiori to go back to the Main Branch was good in the long run," Allen remarked. "She still doesn't know." Bak lowered his hand and held it, then watched the door gradually slide open. "Lenalee helped convince her, too; she put her foot down." Bak nodded, suddenly looking exhausted, and he rubbed his eyes.

"There's been enough to do around here," he yawned, then shook his head a couple times. "Everyone's been overworked lately. I'm trying to do my best for Kisho but I haven't had enough time."

"I'll help out more, then," Allen offered. "I'm here now anyway." Allen noticed Fo still guarding the entrance to the lab, and she glanced up sharply as they approached, and waited until they got closer to speak. Her eyes studied them and Bak felt a little relieved upon seeing her. Her expression was always sharp, and she was always paying attention to whatever happened. She was the Asia Branch's Guardian, but even if she hadn't been, Bak believed that Fo would be the most astute person he knew, and the kindest, despite how she normally acted around people. Upon his request, she had watched Kisho as often as she could. Fo had practically jumped at the chance to help since Bak was the only one who would go to check on Kisho, and sometimes he didn't stop to eat or sleep, and it was obvious he hadn't been getting enough sleep now. Once Fo knew that the Asia Branch was secure, she'd check him every morning and then go off to make sure things were alright, and return later and wait for Bak. If he couldn't come, she'd go check Kisho, then head off to do whatever she needed to, and go back in the morning. She had a Golem watching Kisho, and kept one with her so she could monitor him when she couldn't be right next to him. He was like a young child, almost, unable to be left on his own.

"Bak," Fo said quietly, clutching her arms and looking a bit unnerved, "he's been saying weird things in his sleep." Bak and Allen exchanged glances, then followed Fo to where Kisho was asleep in the Infirmary bed. Bak had put him on a slightly stronger medicine that would keep him asleep, and it seemed that the medicine had prevented him from changing as well as waking up. Bak explained this to Allen, who hoped that was a sign that Kisho was in control and wouldn't change. There was a new needle in Kisho's left arm, giving him fluids whose purpose was unknown to Allen. Bak checked the needle and plastic bag carefully, telling Allen that it was giving Kisho food until he woke up.

"What has he been saying?" Bak asked calmly, touching Fo's head gently, grateful that she had helped him watch Kisho, but in the simple gesture was his gratitude that she had helped him over the years. Fo gently slapped Bak's hand away with a little grin, then crossed her arms and became serious.

"Up until recently he was talking about how he wanted to see Lavi," she explained carefully, "but then he started talking about how he wanted to...well, to kill people."

"...Anything else?" Allen asked, stepping forward. Fo looked at him carefully.

"He was talking about you, too. How he wanted to see you." She trailed off and shrugged when Allen waited for her to say more. Bak put a hand on Kisho's cheek, then the other, and waited a few seconds.

"No fever, and his breathing is regular," he commented absently. "I don't know if the virus is gone." Fo tapped Bak between the shoulders.

"What about that star?" She suggested, and Allen looked curiously at her. "See if it's still there."

"Star?" Allen asked in momentary confusion.

"On his forehead," Fo answered, "there's a black star. Like an Akuma. You know." Allen nodded, remembering Bak's explanation. "The bandage covers it up." She lifted her arms in a shrug. "I still have no idea how he managed to hurt his head just lying here. He never fell out of bed or anything." Allen moved forward and, when neither Fo nor Bak made a move to stop him, he folded up the bandage a bit. A medium-sized black star was right in the middle of his forehead and as Allen touched it briefly he felt a sudden surge of energy and automatically yanked his hand away as if he'd been shocked.

"What happened?" Bak asked sharply, moving closer. He was about to reach out and touch the star but Allen stopped him.

"Don't touch it," Allen cautioned. "It did something weird." His left hand was tingling slightly, almost painfully. Allen pulled the bandage back down, then put both hands over Kisho's forehead and closed his eyes. He felt a burning sensation spread through his left arm and gritted his teeth. The virus was still in Kisho's body, but it seemed like the donations of blood were helping. Allen thought back to Lavi, Miranda, Toma and Hyun-Ae's explanation of what had happened, and began to piece the scene together. The Noah had intended to shoot Lavi, and maybe the way they'd planned the angle, the bullet would have stuck in Lavi's body. But Kisho had gotten in the way at the last minute, and it had gone straight through his body. Enough of the blood had poisoned him to make him this way, but if the bullet had lodged in Lavi's body, then there would have been almost no chance for him. So in a way, it had been better for Kisho to get shot, rather than Lavi. Allen had decided to never tell him that, though; Fo and Bak had agreed that was good. Lavi might be annoyed that he hadn't been told everything, but he felt bad enough now, and there wasn't any reason to make him feel worse.

"Allen?" Bak asked, and his voice sounded like it was coming from far away. The virus didn't feel so strong now, Allen eventually decided, and opened his eyes. He stepped away from Kisho and saw that Bak and Fo were staring intently at him, waiting.

"Hey, what's going on?" Fo asked sharply, looking and sounding impatient, leading Allen to wonder how long he'd been standing there.

"The virus feels weaker, but it's still affecting him." He explained what he thought about the Noah had intended to do. "They didn't mean to make that clean of a shot." Allen tried not to grimace at the memory of seeing Kisho's injury; his body had been anything but clean after taking a bullet. His side had practically been ripped apart, and if it had looked that bad still after the area had been sewn up, then Allen shuddered briefly to imagine what it had looked like before. "They wanted the bullet to stay in Lavi's body, but shot Kisho instead." Allen had thought of the event over and over. It had been explained to him a couple times by Lavi, Toma and Miranda, and Allen had explained it to Bak and Fo after Toma and Miranda had left and Lavi hadn't been well enough to talk about it. Just now he finally thought he fully understood what had happened.

"Why didn't they try to shoot again?" Bak wondered, sounded a little bewildered, not knowing why they'd passed up the chance, but he sounded glad most of all that the Noah hadn't tried again.

"I think," Allen stated, "they wanted us to make Krory suck the virus out, but thanks to Hyun-Ae, he didn't and he's fine." Allen allowed himself a slight smile of triumph despite everything. "I never thought I'd be grateful to her, but she actually made that plan backfire a little."

"Then..." Bak said slowly, crossing his arms in thought, "I think tomorrow I'll give Kisho another transfusion and see what happens. He needs one, anyway. He lost a lot of blood." Fo yawned loudly and stretched her arms.

"If it's alright," Fo murmured sleepily, yawning again, "I think I'm going to go rest now." Bak nodded and put his hand on her head.

"You've done a lot of work. You should go rest, Fo." Fo nodded and smiled wearily, then headed out of the room. Like Bak, Fo could also break the seal on the door to go in and out, but she'd been working so hard, and she was too tired to keep her physical form. Instead of opening the door she just passed through it as if she were a ghost. Allen watched her leave, then looked steadily at Bak.

"I'll watch him," he stated. Bak seemed like he was about to protest but Allen kept going before he could speak. "You need to get something to eat, and you haven't slept at all."

"Are you sure?" Bak asked carefully, and when Allen nodded firmly, he sighed and relented. "If anything happens, use a Golem. Is Timcampy with you?" Allen automatically checked his breast pocket but discovered again that Timcampy wasn't there.

"I bet he's raiding the kitchen." He gave Bak an awkward smile. "But I thought he was with me." Bak held out a black Golem to Allen; he took it and put it in his coat pocket.

"That's alright," Bak said with a chuckle. "I'll ask everyone to look out for him, and send him to you when he shows up."

"Good," Allen sighed. "Thanks. I really need to try and train that crazy Golem." With another laugh, Bak gave a short wave goodbye.

"I'll bring you some food soon," he promised. Allen suddenly remembered that he'd left his and Lavi's food trays on their table back in the cafeteria. He'd forgotten to clean them up in his rush to get Lavi to bed. "And there are other beds around here—use them whenever you need to." Allen glanced around towards where Bak gestured.

"Thanks. I'll manage," he said. "Is there also a—" He paused for a moment. "A bathroom?"

"Over there," Bak said, and pointed off behind Allen, who saw a door far in the back of the room. "I'll be back in a few hours. Thank you for doing this."

"Make sure you eat and rest," Allen told Bak absently, and watched as the man strode off and disappeared through the large doors. The exorcist sat in silence for a few moments, observing as much of the laboratory surroundings as he could see, when he was startled by a voice nearby. Looking around, he didn't see anyone except Kisho. As he gazed at the Finder, listening hard, he heard the voice again and heard him moaning and mumbling things in his sleep. Allen leaned forward slightly, listening closer.

"Uhh...L...Lavi...where'd...you go..." Kisho mumbled, then began tossing and turning. Allen felt concerned but Kisho stopped moving suddenly and didn't speak again. His breathing leveled out and slowed, and Allen knew he was deep in sleep again. The exorcist sat down on the floor next to his bed and crossed his legs, then leaned back with his hands pressing into the floor. He shivered slightly; the floor was cold and hard so he rested his hands on his knees. He decided that when he got tired he'd use one of the other beds that waited nearby, though knew he'd have to be pretty tired before he did that. This whole area was haunted, and had echoes of what had happened; Allen could see clearly what had been done to people here, and if he slept, somehow he knew that the lab's history would trickle into his dreams.

"Don't give up," he told Kisho firmly. "You need to live. And..." Allen clenched his fists in his lap, fixing the Finder's still body with a hard stare. "I don't want to kill you."

* * *

><p><strong>There's a chunk of the summer left and I'm going to use it to write as much as I can before I have to go back to classes again. I've been trying to do fun things outside but it's been way too hot for me. I realized this summer I'm not very good with hot weather, even though I've been to places that are hot and humid. I got a little softer since those times, or something. In Japan during the summer people apparently see horror movies a lot because they get chills during the movie and they cool off a little. I heard that, anyway. Maybe I should watch more scary movies. If I did, though, I might not get to sleep.<strong>

**Heh, anyway, Lavi's back! He doesn't stay down for long.**

**Well, as always, thank you for reading! :) Hope you're all having a good summer.  
><strong>


	6. Mindscape

**I think Open Office's formatting is really clumsy. Any files in Open Office format can't be directly submitted to Fanfiction, either. I have to cut and paste. I don't mind that, really, but I think soon I'm going to get Microsoft Office. I've gotten used to Open Office, but I think Microsoft Word is a lot better, plus I used that for a long time before my old laptop died.**

**Anyway, in this chapter for a bit we're back to Lenalee and Shiori, a short time after they returned to the Main Branch. I focus mostly on Shiori and a little of her history, but hope I paid enough attention to Lenalee, too. I like her, even though I admit that she annoys me in the comic and anime sometimes.**

**I try my hand at explaining what Shiori thinks of adjusting to new cultures and religion, too, so I may get a little offensive. I'm not sure. Shiori had a lot of opinions about religion-she didn't like what she learned about it very much-but never had any related opportunity to talk about it until now.  
>It might have been more interesting for me to show Shiori's point of view while she adjusted to a new bunch of cultures, but honestly, I wasn't too experienced at writing this story then. I also didn't talk about how Shiori dealt with clothes for a long time. Great, huh. But I'm a little better now. Anyway, I hope you are still enjoying the story! Thank you for reading.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Mind Scape<strong>

Shiori clasped her hands anxiously, then folded her arms in discomfort as she slowly approached Lenalee, in hopes of telling her something that had bothered her for a long time.

Today Shiori's Innocence seemed to have decided that she would be in a human form, so here she was, on two legs instead of four. It was nice not to be in all that hot fur for once, but on the other hand, she'd gotten used to not wearing clothes. _It's been ages since I've used clothes, _Shiori thought.

Recently, Shiori had been able to sense, for the most part, when she would change to another form. She discovered that she had enough time—usually—to hide somewhere and adjust accordingly to whatever form she was in. Komui had found and altered a medium-sized black bag and given it to Shiori a while back. It had two straps that she could put her arms through as a human, and one that fastened around her middle for when she wasn't in human form—Komui had added that. The only thing kept in the bag was Shiori's uniform; if she returned to human form, she would hide and change quickly into it, or be able to put the uniform away when changing into her animal form. When she was a wolf, the bag fit her tightly, held in place by the strap that fastened around her chest; the pack remained securely between her shoulder blades. When Shiori didn't need to wear the uniform, she'd shove it into the pack and would usually have to either wrestle the pack onto her body, or ask the exorcist or Finder she was working with to help her with it. It had been uncomfortable for a little while, but eventually it had become part of her and now was hardly noticeable.

Hoping that she wouldn't startle Lenalee, she took a breath and stepped closer, clearing her throat. When Lenalee turned, Shiori almost lost her nerve, but decided to just try and get it over with. "Could I talk to you about something?" Lenalee turned and lifted her eyebrows as if startled; it was obvious that her attention had been grabbed with just that. _Or maybe it's because I look awful. _Shiori had gotten a long hard look at herself in the small mirror that had recently been fit into the wall over every exorcist's bathroom sink, and it was obvious by Shiori's pink eyes and faint shadows under her eyes that she hadn't been sleeping too much lately. "I'm sorry; I didn't ask what you were doing. You seem busy. I'll talk to you later." _I couldn't do it after all, not surprisingly, _Shiori thought ashamedly as she turned quickly, but Lenalee's voice made her stop.

"Wait a minute," she said kindly, almost laughingly. "I'm not busy now. I just finished taking Reever and the others some coffee." Shiori winced, then smiled before turning around.

"Oh...alright. That was nice of you." Lenalee smiled back, then frowned in thought and glanced around.

"What do you want to talk about?" She questioned, and Shiori glanced both ways down the hall before replying.

"It's kind of...uncomfortable...for me to bring this up but I thought that it would be alright if I told you...but if you don't want to hear, then it's okay." Lenalee shook her head and gestured for Shiori to follow her; she did, and presently they arrived at the library. Lenalee sat down in a nearby cherrywood chair that was padded with a red cushion on the seat and back, while Shiori dragged a chair that was padded with green cushions over.

"No one's here," Lenalee explained patiently. "The library is usually quiet in the afternoon. People seem to come here in the morning and in the evening." Shiori nodded distractedly.

"I come here, sometimes, but it's usually crowded so I leave." Lenalee smiled softly.

"You're shy on the inside, aren't you?" Shiori's face turned a little pink.

"I think I am," she admitted sheepishly, looking down at her hands. "But I never thought about it."

"That's alright." Lenalee crossed her legs. "What did you want to ask me?" Shiori straightened up suddenly, as if she had forgotten what she'd approached Lenalee for.

"Well..." Shiori began hesitatingly, and Lenalee nodded gently, encouraging her to go on. "You know that when I came here, I agreed with Kisho and anyone else when they said I'd just gotten lost, that I'd gone to the wrong Branch." She paused and interlocked her fingers. "Well, I wasn't lost. General Tiedoll told me how to get to the right place." Lenalee tilted her head curiously and frowned.

"It was strange that you came here. It was easier to reach the Asia Branch." When Shiori didn't answer, Lenalee prompted her. "Right?" Shiori's pinkened face flushed red.

"Tiedoll took me to lots of places while he taught me," she explained edgily, "but never as far as the Main Branch. Not even close, really." Shiori took a deep breath. "When Tiedoll had to go, we were in in southeast Russia, kind of Siberia. It was close to China, so I could get to the Asia Branch without many problems. It was still a long way, but not as far away as the Main Branch." Lenalee looked thoughtful, then suddenly a stern expression formed on her face. The things about Shiori's detour that had bothered her from the get-go suddenly came back in a rush of annoyance.

"Why did you go that far?" Lenalee demanded. "You could have gotten into danger. You weren't that strong, then. You could have been attacked by Akuma, or been found by the Noah Clan or even the Earl." Shiori ducked her head, chastised, but her awkward expression suddenly darkened.

"They wouldn't have been the worst."

"Shiori!" Lenalee exclaimed sharply. "How could they not be? You couldn't have fought them." Shiori shook her head meaningfully.

"I couldn't have fought them and won, but I at least could have fought, Lenalee. I mean...I'd rather have a physical force to fight, instead of having something I'm afraid of that is impossible to fight." The younger exorcist crossed her arms and sighed, looking frustrated.

"What do you mean?" Shiori looked away and didn't reply to the question; she started talking again about what she'd done while traveling.

"I met a lot of people along the way to the Main Branch, and I decided it would be good to stay away from them as much as I could, but I had to go into towns to look for food and to sleep. I looked pretty dirty, so I think I always looked like a stray. Most people ignored me but a lot didn't like me. They seemed afraid, sometimes, more afraid than they should be of just a stray animal." Shiori paused a thought for a bit. "I only understood after I got back from a mission in London. A kid said I was a familiar. Krory was on that mission, and he pretended to chase me away so the townspeople wouldn't be suspicious of all of us. If they had been, then it would have ruined the whole mission. Krory wouldn't have been able to stay."

"So you left for a while so he could find answers." Lenalee nodded, understanding, and Shiori spoke up again.

"Krory learned that the people thought a demon was attacking them." The young woman laughed a bit. "They were right about demons, but I think the kind of demons they had in mind were different. Something they weren't ready for."

"They might have...been thinking about the devil," Lenalee said in a low tone, her expression tense.

"I looked up familiar later in the library," Shiori mumbled. "I'd never heard that before. I read about them, then looked up some other things, and couldn't believe what I found, Lenalee." Shiori hugged herself and shivered a little. "Familiars...were said to be the servants of witches, and the book said they, and the person they supposedly belonged to, were killed." She eyed Lenalee carefully. "Is that true? I hope it's too awful to be true."

"It's just awful enough to be true," Lenalee answered remorsefully, and Shiori bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "Did anyone ever hurt you, Shiori?"

"No. Some wanted to, I know, but I could always run and that's what I did. I don't think the people in the book could run." The two young women were silent for a moment. "Why did people do that, Lenalee?"

"They were afraid. That's mostly what it came down to—fear of people who were different, and they were ignorant, too. The Bible talks about things to fear. If people had learned more then, outside of religion, then they might not have done those awful things." Lenalee crossed her arms. "But...in their religion, they were afraid of the devil and things like that. They saw strange things happen and thought it meant the devil was trying to trick or hurt them. But if people learn a lot and have lots of experiences, then they can't be tricked so easily. They learn what's true and what's not."

"And to think..." Shiori muttered, "there really are demons out there, but not in the way those people thought." She shook her head. "When I realized there were things like Akuma, I was afraid."

"Was that why you didn't go to the Asia Branch?" Lenalee asked carefully. "Kisho could have come to find you a lot more easily if you had." Shiori was silent for a long time. "Shiori, please. If you can't tell me, that's fine...but it's clear that this is bothering you. Believe me, if it's that bad, then you won't feel better unless you talk about it."

"...I couldn't do it, Lenalee," Shiori mumbled under her breath, finally getting to the point. "You were right. I got scared, so I ran. That's all."

"You weren't ready," Lenalee said calmly, having suspected almost from the beginning of Shiori's explanation that she'd been afraid, and was still a little afraid.

"Well," Shiori stuttered, not meeting Lenalee's sharp eyes, "I was homesick after Tiedoll started training me, but I was mostly scared about how I had changed so much, and about how I was an exorcist who had to fight these things called Akuma." She laughed uncomfortably. "I found the Asia Branch with no trouble. I felt bad because I made it seem like Tiedoll hadn't told me how to get there, but he was always good at teaching." Shiori bit her lip hard and closed her eyes. "When I realized I was close to the Asia Branch, Lenalee...I realized that I really didn't want to go there." Lenalee forced herself to keep quiet until Shiori had finished. "I knew I couldn't go back home since I was an exorcist, but even after training all that time, I don't think I was ready...like you said. So before I knew it, I'd started running away. Tiedoll told me that the Main Branch was in Europe. That was the only other Branch I knew about. I thought that, if I was far enough away from Kisho and my mother, I wouldn't feel so bad about not being able to go and see them."

"That's...really what you felt like?" Lenalee asked sadly, and shook her head. "You really came here on purpose." Shiori gave an awkward smile, and to Lenalee it seemed that she was trying to put a brave face on to hide that she was ashamed of herself for being afraid. "Everyone did just think you were lost, and...well...not that smart."

"Well, being stupid isn't as bad as being a coward," Shiori mumbled quietly. "And that's what I was. I'm outspoken around people, but it's not how I really am. But...at least, eventually, I became an exorcist, though I waited until it was on my terms...and I felt bad about what I did. General Tiedoll trained me for a long time and explained everything. He was strict, but he was good to me, and I didn't do what I was supposed to."

"Am I the first person you told?" Lenalee asked quietly, her heart thudding hard against her ribs.

"You're the first," Shiori agreed, but bit her lip and didn't meet Lenalee's eyes as she said this. "I told Komui that I had just been lost, but I think he knew all along. I said I was lost...but I was just trying not to tell the whole story. In my head, I meant it more like confused and scared."

"My brother is good at figuring things out when it counts...at least sometimes," Lenalee said with a little smile. "He acts crazy when it comes to me." Shiori laughed nervously. "So, then...what did you end up thinking about your decision?"

"You said," she said carefully, "that some of the exorcists and Finders here thought I was a dumb person for coming all this way, and I knew that. But I decided I wouldn't mind, because maybe it'd mean I wouldn't have to explain...to them, anyway. But after I got used to living here, I calmed down, and I realized I liked it. It's a nice place...the culture's different, it was hard at first, but I got used to it and then it was fine." Shiori frowned, looking angry again. "I read as much as I could about culture, and found more things about religion. I didn't like a lot of the things I read, but I was confused, because there were so many good things I had seen that didn't match up with all of the bad things I read about religion." When Shiori paused, Lenalee took her left hand and squeezed it briefly; the less experienced exorcist smiled weakly and nodded gratefully.

"I tried hard to like the people I saw, and the way they did things...their buildings...their food...their music...when I was in towns along the way, I was able to experience it sometimes. And soon, even though I'd been a coward, I started to like it here and thought that it maybe I hadn't done something too bad, because I'd become an exorcist like I was supposed to." Lenalee was about to speak, but she looked up and past Shiori suddenly, and stared as if taken by surprise. "That's all. It was long, and not very interesting. I just wanted to tell you, because I felt like you wouldn't mind even if I was...um, Lenalee?" Shiori trailed off as she noticed how the other person was behaving. "Are you okay?" Shiori turned and glanced up, and her breath caught. Her face flushed even redder than it had been before and she turned hot and cold with alarm. Lenalee was the first to compose herself.

"How are you, Kanda?" She asked brightly, while Shiori stood from her chair and inched closer to her; the bold front she kept up around Kanda was gone, and she couldn't think of anything to say to him.

"Hm...fine," Kanda replied to Lenalee, his expression softening a bit. "Komui wants to see you," he stated, and Shiori was dumbstruck at the range of expression he'd shown. Lavi had said a while back that Kanda acted differently around Lenalee, but to see it, well, that was something else.

"Thanks, Kanda. I'll go now. Come on, Shiori." The younger woman nodded dumbly in response and watched Kanda bracingly, but when didn't say or do anything. Shiori turned and followed Lenalee, but almost turned inside-out when Kanda spoke up.

"Wait," he told her; gingerly, Shiori turned. Lenalee turned as well but wasn't nearly as shaken as Shiori was. "You have a mission in a few days." Shiori could tell Kanda was waiting for her to give some indication that she'd heard, but she couldn't find anything to say. The older exorcist gave her a peculiar look and turned away. "Shape up unless you want to make the mission fail."

"Thank you, Kanda," Lenalee told him breezily. "She'll be fine. She's had an off day."

_Lenalee's really nice, _Shiori thought, shaking a little, _but that's an understatement._

With a quiet scoff Kanda turned and strode away past the library while Lenalee tugged once on Shiori's loose collar, making her come back to attention and walk alongside her to Komui's office.

* * *

><p>Allen jolted awake and shook his head as he stood up. He'd been dozing on and off for a while. Allen left the laboratory several times already, but never for very long. Most of the times he'd left to visit his friends or get food, but had always finished up what he needed to do without taking too long. He spent a while with Lavi, talking and asking how he felt. Lenalee had left a while back with Shiori, who she'd eventually convinced to come with her.<p>

There had been no change in Kisho's condition; he was sleeping like always. At first, Allen had checked on him frequently, but he was always the same—no better, no worse. Allen rose to his feet to work some of the stiffness out of his limbs and headed over to where Kisho was. Allen glanced up with a little yawn that turned into a startled yell halfway. A transparent figure was waiting nearby the bed Kisho lay in, and was staring right at Allen, who didn't speak out of wariness for a minute or so. _A ghost__? _He wondered, eyes narrowed, though didn't believe that it really was. The Ghost of Mater hadn't really been a ghost.

"Nah," the figure said, causing Allen to jump a bit and stare. "I'm not a ghost."

"What are you, then?" Allen demanded, but his jaw dropped once he got a closer look at the spectral figure. It was difficult to really make out clear features but there was no mistaking the features of the thing in front of him: dusty brown hair, gray-blue eyes, and a darkened left hand, different from the pale skin tone of the rest of his body. "You're me," Allen realized, struck with confusion and alarm.

"Not exactly," the figure chuckled, but the humor suddenly vanished from its face as it looked down at the figure on the hospital bed. "How would you feel if this person died?" Allen bristled and reached for his left arm, readying himself to activate his Innocence.

"What did you do?" Allen demanded fiercely, and received a puzzled glance.

"Nothing," the figure said with a shrug. "I just wondered how attached you were to him. I wondered how badly you wanted to save him." In a flash Allen drew his sword and rushed the figure, swinging it high, but instead of striking the specter it clanged against something that was very familiar to Allen—a sword identical to his Anti-Akuma Weapon.

"What do you want?" Allen grunted, pushing against the other sword with all his might. His right arm was just as strong as his left but he was having more trouble than he should at pushing the spectral figure—who seemed to be holding Allen off with no effort—away from Kisho.

"Listen," the figure said calmly, almost boredly, yet a flash of warning had entered the gray-blue eyes, "you don't want to fight me. You could end up hurting yourself."

"What do you mean?" Allen grunted challengingly, but the way the figure spoke unnerved him. Not just the voice, which was identical to his, but the tone, as if he somehow had figured that he wasn't in danger.

"If you fight me, then you're fighting against your own power. And two same forces can cancel each other out." Allen felt a wave of alarm and pushed with his sword against the spectral figure's weapon, and felt it leap away easily; Allen almost overbalanced but caught himself and quickly stepped in front of Kisho. The figure, whatever it was, had meant to back off.

"Against my own power...?" Allen's gaze flickered to the sword that the figure held in its right hand. "So are you...you're...my Innocence." The figure laughed and nodded cheerfully; Allen stiffened as he twirled the sword once.

"I wouldn't turn your back on him," the specter cautioned, crossing his arms, an emphatic smile on his face. Allen turned and looked down but just saw Kisho lying there asleep. Turning back he glared in confusion. The ghostly double of Allen chuckled darkly and turned his gaze down at Kisho. "He's weak and can't do much, but he'll cause trouble if he's left alive."

"He can't hurt anyone," Allen snapped angrily, but knew in his heart that he was just hoping that he couldn't, and the figure seemed to know this.

"He can," his double insisted. "He'll turn into an Akuma, and when he does, the only option left will be for him to die." His silver-blue eyes met Allen's eyes sharply. "And as you're the only one here...so you'll make sure he dies." Allen took a threatening step forward.

"How do you know?"

"It was all in your mind," the figure replied, still smiling in a way that unsettled Allen. It was difficult to get used to staring yourself in the face. "I'm your Innocence. I'd know. Do you still not believe me?" Allen turned around and looked at Kisho; in the dim light Allen noticed that the needle that had been giving Kisho medicine so he'd stay asleep was no longer inserted in his vein. That meant he could wake up. His heart pounded and he rushed forward, picking the needle up quickly but carefully, but he looked up at the IV stand and saw that the plastic bag had been ripped open.

"How did..." Allen hissed in alarm.

"I did that." The exorcist spun around furiously and gave the figure an angry glare.

"What's the matter with you!? He'll wake up!"

"Change, won't he? But you can stop him." Allen noticed a sly grin on his double's face. "He's barely awake. It'll be easy to finish him."

"I swore I'd try to save him before I resorted to that." The grin changed to a frown, and Allen heard a deep sigh.

"It's never a last resort with other Akuma. It's the first one because they can never go back."

"I've got to get Bak," Allen muttered to himself, tossing the IV line away and turning sharply to leave.

"It'll be easier to finish it now." Allen turned and clenched his fists angrily. "By the time you get back," the spectral figure warned, the grin back, "he'll be fully awake. The medicine's wearing off. I took the needle out a while ago. Do you want to put people in danger?" A slight movement from Kisho caught Allen's attention, and he glanced down. His hands were twitching, and his eyes seemed to be moving behind his eyelids. Then, a moment later, his eyelids lifted to reveal sleep-fogged eyes. Allen's breath caught momentarily, and he closed his eyes for a second. Kisho's normally brown irises were deep red, and the rounded pupils were now thin diamond shapes. The Finder's eyes slipped shut again and he gave a little pained moan, causing Allen to move slightly closer in concern, but his eyes detected a quick movement and he leapt back instinctively. Kisho was sitting up and had swiped a hand at him. It was just like Bak had said about what happened to Kisho earlier; if Allen hadn't moved, he would have been slashed, as Kisho's hands had now become more beast-like with longer and sharper nails, almost claws.

"Kisho!" Allen shouted forcefully. "Stop!" Kisho's crimson eyes met Allen's and they narrowed as he slung his legs over the bed and approached Allen threateningly, his hands raised. The exorcist cursed under his breath and felt his heart thudding hard against his ribcage.

"You have your weapon out—get him!" Allen was so concentrated on Kisho that he barely heard the specter shouting to him. Kisho ran forward and lunged at Allen, who darted to the side long before the attack would have connected. The Finder turned sharply and lunged again, but Allen kicked out his left leg and tripped Kisho as he dodged the attack. Even as a half-Akuma, Kisho didn't seem to be too strong, and hadn't been able to catch himself in time. Allen allowed himself a small grimace as Kisho crashed to the ground. He watched as Kisho began to push himself upright, and as they locked eyes, Allen noticed a small flicker of pain in Kisho's now-red irises—and something close to fear—but he'd barely glimpsed it before it disappeared and morphed to anger once again. Kisho pushed himself fully upright, jumping to his feet, and advanced on Allen again, who had morphed his sword arm into long black claws. As the Finder lunged for him, Allen blocked Kisho's claws from reaching him, and curled his own claws around both of Kisho's hands. With his right hand he reached out and clenched Kisho's collar, then spun him around and pulled him close, using his right arm to pin Kisho's arms and hold him to his body so he couldn't move. Allen positioned his left hand lightly over Kisho's throat.

"Kisho," Allen panted, though with relief he found he was restraining the younger person with little effort, "I don't want to kill you, but if it comes to that I'll have to and I will. But if there's anything left of you, then listen to me. I want to convert you. Do you understand? You won't have to die." Kisho thrashed against Allen's arm, grunting with exertion as he tried to get free. "Your Akuma side can be under control! I don't know how long, but long enough to find another way to help you." Still Kisho fought against his hold and Allen knew that he wasn't listening. Allen glanced over his left shoulder, desperately wishing that he could run and get Bak. But the strange figure was right; it would be too late by then. Something black fluttered close to Allen's face and he started, then realized it was the black Golem Bak had left with him. He couldn't just tell Bak to come here; that would be dangerous. The Golem wouldn't be able to explain the situation to him.

"How are you planning to convert him, anyway?" The ghostly figure was approaching Allen calmly, his face curious, but his tone biting. He raised the Anti-Akuma Weapon and pointed it towards Kisho. "I may not be like you, but I am still here, and this sword will still have an effect on him."

"Don't!" Allen hollered. "That'll kill him!"

"It might not," the figure shrugged, and Allen felt his jaw drop. "If you want to subdue the Akuma side of him, then Innocence may be able to drive it out."

"Why didn't you say that, then!?" Allen yelled furiously and Kisho's body tensed and he stopped fighting for a moment as he shook his head a few times; Allen had yelled down his ear, startling him into silence.

"Because it might just kill him, like you said." Allen felt dumbstruck for an instant, then glared as the figure laughed. "Anything could happen, but I wouldn't care what, because he wouldn't be a threat to you."

"It's not just me in danger!" Allen growled, and his look-alike chuckled.

"You really want to help him. What if there's no way?"

"I said I'd make a way," Allen hissed, and Kisho hadn't moved; suddenly, though, he closed his eyes and let out a long, quiet sigh; Allen glanced down at him, then up and over his shoulder again. "Are you finally listening?" He muttered, then felt a strange sensation against his body. Kisho's skin was faintly glowing and suddenly Allen jerked away from Kisho reflexively as something burned his right arm. Kisho turned slowly and gave Allen a long, insistent gaze, then held both hands to his chest and let his eyes slide shut once again. A brightness coalesced around Kisho's hands and a moment later, the Finder held them into the air, palms facing the ceiling. A bright, softly glowing pink light was resting there and Allen felt a jolt of dismay; Kisho had pulled the Innocence from his blood. That had been the only thing keeping him alive, the only thing that had prevented him from dying instantly upon getting the Akuma virus. "Kisho!" Allen yelled, lunging for the Finder. "What are you doing?" Allen halted as something flashed in front of him; it was his double. "Move!" He barked, though wondered if he could just go through the figure since it didn't seem to physically be there.

"Take it from him," he said, and Allen shook his head in confusion. "Bak told you to get the Innocence from him if he couldn't be saved, so take it." Allen stepped forward furiously, and found that he had walked straight through the spectral form of himself. When he approached Kisho, the Finder offered the small fragment of Innocence to him. Allen studied the chip of Innocence closely; it was barely even a part of a Heart fragment at all. Kisho had given the rest of the fragment to him long ago and now he was giving the rest of it back. Allen lowered his head, knowing that once he took it, there would be no stopping the virus. Kisho would likely die. It would either be from the injury he'd gotten when Tykki had used a Tease on him, since he knew that the wound wasn't entirely healed. He'd needed this scrap of Innocence for that to eventually seal the tear in his heart, and now he was giving it up. But if that didn't kill him, then he would die from the virus, or have to be killed because he was turning into an Akuma. Allen looked at Kisho carefully; in the Finder's eyes, he saw that although they were the blood-red ones of an Akuma, that there was still some of his old self left. Kisho lowered his palms and stepped towards Allen, holding them out more insistently to the exorcist. Allen saw that, except for Kisho's eyes, he looked like a normal person. His hands had transformed back, and he wondered if the Innocence had done that.

_Take it. I'll be fine. _Allen didn't meet Kisho's gaze as he took the Innocence shard. He bit his lip and felt a hot pouring of guilt in his chest as he closed his fingers around the sacred material. Allen gave a start when he felt the specter of himself brush against his left arm, and he heard a voice as if it was inside his head.

"I'm going to disappear now," he said in a low tone, "but I'll just go back to being part of you. So look forward to seeing me." Allen turned sharply but could only watch as the figure gradually faded. "Put that bit of Innocence back with the rest of yours." With that, he was gone, and Allen looked at Kisho; the Finder was standing quietly, his eyes dulling. With a frustrated hiss, Allen held the Innocence shard gently in his right hand and pressed it to the middle of his left forearm. A warm sensation and a brief flash of light made him start a little, and he felt the warmth seep into his body. He sighed, and returned his attention to Kisho. The expression of hate in the Finder's eyes gave him a split second of warning and he drew his Anti-Akuma Weapon in a flash and dodged Kisho's swipe of claws.

"Is this what you call fine?!" He yelped, blocking a strike from Kisho, then another, and barely dodged a third strike, receiving a shallow cut across his middle. Allen glanced at his sword for a split second; it had begun glowing brightly but he found he could stare at it without having to narrow his eyes against the light. Even though the part of the Heart fragment Kisho had taken had been a small one, Allen had still felt its absence, but now since it was whole again, he felt the full power of it and sensed that his Anti-Akuma Weapon was more powerful than before. It had changed even with just a small fraction of Innocence. Allen felt a stinging across the left side of his face and knew Kisho had tagged him with his claws again. A dark energy was surging through Kisho's body—Allen could sense its power and he could see a dark halo around the Finder's body. An unexpected shockwave of power thrust Allen back a couple feet and he grunted in shock. Kisho raised his arms and rushed Allen, who lifted his weapon to a horizontal position to block. Kisho's eyes flashed with something—a strange emotion Allen didn't catch. But there was no time to think about what Kisho was thinking, because he suddenly darted around the sword until he was by Allen's left side, and stopped when he saw that the point of the sword was facing him. Allen was just turning to adjust to Kisho's new position when the Finder abruptly lunged forward and grabbed the blade with both hands. Allen stopped dead as he saw a section of the blade disappear, the force of Kisho's charge and the pull of his hands driving the thin blade into his heart. "What—" Allen gasped, taken aback, and then stared in shock, not wanting to believe it. Dismay pounded through his chest with each heartbeat. "You...why...?"

Kisho squeezed his eyes shut in pain, then opened them and stared weakly across at Allen. His mouth twisted in a grimace, but he slowly forced it into a weak smile before he gave a sigh and fell to the side, his body contacting the floor with a low thump. Allen stared in shock a moment more, then started to tug the sword free before thinking that he could make Kisho bleed to death if he did so. He gripped the hilt tightly, and as he did so, it faded away and somehow reappeared as his left arm. Allen crept the shaking fingers of his right hand towards the reappeared limb, then let his arm drop as he moved quickly towards Kisho. Kneeling, he turned the person onto his back and cradled his body firmly with his right arm. Kisho's eyes were closed and the front of his shirt, though red—Bak had brought Kisho a new change of clothes a while back—had a visible dark stain of blood on it. Allen's left hand hovered over Kisho's damaged chest for a moment; then he pressed his fingers to Kisho' s neck instead, searching for a pulse. After a couple seconds he felt it thrum agains hist fingers, so he moved his hand to hover over Kisho's mouth, where he felt puffs of air every few seconds. He was alive, though it might not be for much longer. Allen stared down at Kisho and saw that his face was calm, like nothing had ever happened.

"Kisho," he said quietly. Allen heard a rough exhale of breath from Kisho, and saw the Finder open his eyes halfway. As far as Allen could tell, they were back to their normal hue. Kisho's mouth turned up in a faint smile as Allen watched him, though it was obvious that he was in pain. Kisho tried to take a deep breath, but he grimaced like he was having trouble; Allen pulled his right leg forward and used it to help Kisho sit up while he lifted his head gently with his right hand. "How do you feel?" Allen asked warily.

"Thanks." He sighed out the breath he'd taken. "I feel fine. I don't hurt all that much anymore." Allen looked sharply down at him.

"It's not fine," he disagreed angrily. "Why do you still think it's fine that you get hurt? Because you're a Finder?" Kisho frowned, then gave a quiet laugh.

"Because I can't hurt anyone now." Kisho waited a minute before speaking again, his voice still tired and raspy. "No one did anything bad to me. This just happens sometimes...don't tell anyone else that, though...it wouldn't help them feel better."

"So you tell me," Allen muttered, disconcerted. He wanted to pull up Kisho's shirt and see how bad the damage was, but he faltered momentarily, then pulled it up and stared. The stab wound from his weapon was steadily leaking blood, but somehow it wasn't as bad as it should be. Allen shook his head and felt a small stinging on the back of his left hand, and set Kisho down gently so he could examine it. He touched it with his right hand and the fingers came away slick with blood. Picking Kisho carefully up again, Allen tugged up Kisho's shirt more so he could get at the wound. Turning his left hand, he pressed it to the stab wound, and watched carefully, hoping that it would work. Nothing was happening, though, and Kisho's eyes had closed. "Do something," Allen muttered, and just when he had decided to call Bak via the black Golem, Allen felt warmth sliding down his fingers and saw the injury in Kisho's chest beginning to shrink and stop bleeding. His breath caught; had it worked?

Allen waited, barely moving, and didn't remove his hand until the wound had completely closed up. Then he turned his hand so he could see the back of it and saw that his cut had vanished. On impulse he felt his midsection and looked down, realizing that the shallow cut he'd received was also gone. Allen fingered his left cheek and learned that the cut there was also gone. His Innocence had healed both of them, but as to whether Kisho was alive, he wasn't sure. The Finder hadn't moved at all and though his chest was moving up and down with his breaths, Allen wasn't sure if he would survive despite being healed. Only Bak would be able to examine him and see, and after that, only time would tell. Carefully, Allen slid his arms under Kisho's body and carried him over to the bed and lay him down on it. Allen glanced around for the black Golem and found it fluttering boredly nearby, and he quickly swept it into his hand and called into it. "Bak?" He didn't wait for a reply of confirmation that anyone was there. "I need you to come down here." Allen glanced at Kisho while he waited for a reply; he sensed that the virus was no danger to him or anyone else anymore. _It worked._

* * *

><p><em><strong>I love giving the Golems personalities. I think I'm going to do that more, just for fun. They're important, after all. The Golem Shiori usually has is violent and moody, the one Krory uses is cheery and helpful, the one Allen has in this chapter is apathetic but calm in urgent situations, and the one Hyun-Ae had is sarcastic and difficult, the one Chaoji has is hyper and the one Kanda has is lazy. XD I think Timcampy's traits are loyal, cranky and a big eater, like Allen. Probably a lot of others...like musical, since he helped Allen play the piano.<strong>_

**So, Allen did it! I'll explain more later what happened. Since I wrote this, and made lots of things up, it probably was confusing. But Kisho's back to normal for the most part, but doesn't have Innocence in his body anymore, so he can't find it anymore. He'll still do some things, but be like the rest of the Finders from now on pretty much.  
>Thanks again for reading!<strong>


	7. Renew

**Bleh...I feel like I had a fail in this chapter, but I made everyone say what I thought was best, so I'll go with it. Hope you enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading.**

**I only own my characters, not the D-Gray Man official characters, or Innocence or anything. I'm just glad I can write about it.**

* * *

><p>Renew<p>

Kisho felt a stinging pinch and gave a quiet inhale of pain, then gradually opened his eyes. He blinked a couple times and when his vision cleared, he saw Bak leaning over his right arm, which had a green sleeve covering it now instead of red. His clothes had been changed sometime. "Bak?" Kisho croaked, causing the man to look up in surprise. "Where am I?"

"You're awake," Bak sighed, shaking his head as he calmed down. "You're at the Asia Branch in the Infirmary. You've been asleep for almost a week now." Kisho frowned in thought and felt confused.

"What happened?" Bak drew some of Kisho's blood into a vial, then set it down on a metal tray nearby and withdrew the needle carefully. He pressed a cotton ball to Kisho's vein and held it there.

"Hold that and lift your arm up," Bak told him. Kisho nodded tiredly, clumsily moved his left arm over to the cotton pad and pressed his fingers to it, then slowly lifted his right arm into the air. "You were injured, so you've been recovering here." Kisho closed his eyes and clenched his jaw when a wave of nausea swept over him. He lowered his arm and pressed both hands to his mouth. Bak quickly grabbed a large basin from the metal tray, and pushed it aside as he stepped forward. He held the basin under Kisho's mouth just in time; the Finder coughed a couple of times and threw up. Bak waited and a minute later Kisho coughed into the basin final time and leaned back against the two pillows which were propped up against his back.

"Ugh..." Kisho groaned, lifting his eyes open a bit. He caught Bak's eye and looked down. "Sorry you...had to see that..." Bak shook his head and set the basin underneath the metal rolling tray, then got a rag from it and wiped Kisho's mouth off.

"I see it all the time," Bak said with a faint smile as he got another rag—this one slightly damp with cold water—and draped it over Kisho's forehead. "How are you feeling now?" Bak asked. "Do you need the basin again?"

"No," Kisho replied weakly, "I think I'm fine." Bak nodded while he reached for a roll of bandages, unrolled a section and began winding it around Kisho's right arm.

"Do you feel like eating?"

"I think so," Kisho answered. "Anything is fine. But you don't have to hurry."

"Alright, then." Bak cut the bandage, tied it off, then stood up and took the basin with him to the back of the Infirmary to clean it, and returned shortly to set it on the floor by Kisho's bed. "If you need anything, let Allen know." Kisho opened his eyes and glanced around in confusion. He hadn't noticed that Allen was here, but now he spotted him sitting just to his left. Kisho smiled weakly at him, and wished again he hadn't thrown up, but if Allen was disgusted he wasn't showing it. The exorcist smiled in return as Bak continued. "He just stopped by to see how you were doing."

"I'll wait until you get back," Allen told Bak, who nodded in thanks, then walked off after leaving Allen with a few instructions. Kisho only heard a few as he closed his eyes.

"I don't think I'll get sick again," he mumbled. "I won't need that." He gestured towards where Bak had put the basin.

"Let's keep it close anyway."

"Allen...why aren't you at the Main Branch?" Kisho asked suddenly, then winced when Allen was about to reply. "I don't mind that you're here, but I just wondered."

"I was around anyway," Allen replied, his expression becoming troubled for a second before returning to neutral. "I came to see how you were doing." Kisho frowned, then clumsily turned the wet cloth on his forehead over.

"How did I get hurt?"

"You, Lavi, Miranda and Toma were on a mission...Lavi got hurt, and so did you." Kisho felt a jolt of alarm as it came back to him.

"I remember a little...how is Lavi? Is he alright?" Allen nodded quickly.

"He's fine, don't worry." Kisho sighed, relieved. "He's been up for a while now."

"Hey!" Allen turned sharply when Lavi yelled out, and he saw the redhead rapidly approaching them. "You're finally awake!"

"Lavi...you've been here all this time, too?" Kisho asked. Lavi nodded, then crossed his arms with a wry smirk.

"I could have left a while ago, but Bak said you'd probably wake up soon, so I waited."

"You're all better?" Kisho asked hopefully. Lavi nodded and raised both arms as if he were lifting weights.

"Of course! What, you were worried?" He shook his head, grinned and waved his hands. "I'm fine. How about you?"

"I feel alright," Kisho replied, smiling faintly. "Just hungry."

"I saw Bak when I was coming here. He said he was getting you food. Don't eat too much though."

"Why not?" Kisho asked, a tad annoyed. He didn't feel sick anymore, and since he'd thrown up his stomach was growling almost painfully. "I haven't eaten in a week."

"Bak was saying you'd gained weight," Lavi explained, though it was with a hint of joking. "It's because you haven't been exercising."

"It's normal for weight to change," Bak stated as he approached Kisho's bed with a tray of food; a bowl of clear soup and noodles was there, as well as a plate of crackers and a glass of water. Just the sight of it made Kisho's mouth water and he hoped he wasn't drooling.

"Well, I'm really hungry," Kisho said as his stomach growled loudly, and reached for the tray; Bak set it on Kisho's lap. "I'm eating no matter what." Kisho picked up the spoon resting beside the bowl and carefully dipped it into the soup. His arms felt so heavy that he was surprised he'd picked the spoon up.

"I'm going to get some food, too," Lavi stated. "I'll see you later." With a light wave he strode out of the Infirmary.

"Thanks for the food, Bak" Kisho said gratefully. "It's good."

"You're welcome. If you want more, just ask."

"Hey..." Kisho said, putting down the spoon suddenly. "Lavi and I were injured...and I kind of remember how it happened, but I want to know more about it." Allen met Bak's eye, then stared at Kisho.

"You don't remember?" Bak asked, frowning in thought.

"No. When I try, nothing comes up."

"An Akuma attacked Lavi," Bak told him, "and you were hit with a virus bullet. You both lost a lot of blood, but Miranda used her Time Record on you both."

"Right...I remember her doing that," Kisho murmured. "...So...I had the virus...and the bullet wasn't a normal one." Kisho looked down at his hands. "Is the virus gone?"

"For the most part," Bak spoke up calmly, but hoped Kisho would take it well. "There's still some inside of you, but it's contained and won't affect you anymore." The Finder held his right hand to his head, then paused.

"Is something on me?" He questioned nervously, trying to look up and see what was around his head. "There's something on my head." Bak and Allen exchanged glances.

"Ah, well that...you had a head injury—from what, I don't know—and I I couldn't get to it unless your hair was gone." Bak tapped Kisho's head lightly, indicating the cap. "I put a medical cap over the bandages."

"Oh...so I don't have hair now," Kisho said, looking a bit awkward. "Well, that's okay...it'll grow back...eventually."

"Eventually," Allen agreed.

"Could I keep wearing this until my hair grows back?" Kisho asked with a touch of embarrassment.

"I wouldn't wear it that long. We'll find you something else." Kisho felt his nose carefully; the bandage had been taken off recently, and a healed cut spanned across the bridge of his nose. Suddenly Kisho glanced at Allen.

"I remember something else. You healed me."

"You remember that?" Allen asked, then nodded quickly. "I healed you, yes."

"Do you remember anything else?" Bak questioned calmly, folding his arms, and Kisho detected a strange tone in his voice, and felt like he was testing him with the question somehow. There was something important that Kisho wanted to remember, but he couldn't just now, so he shook his head.

"Nothing, really...I can't remember." Bak nodded, seemingly content with the answer.

"That's fine. Don't force yourself. Just rest for now." Bak slipped the vial of Kisho's blood into his pocket, then t. After he left, Kisho leaned back against the pillows, but sat up again and looked at Allen. He pushed the tray away, having finished, then picked it up and started to put it on the floor. Allen helped him so he wouldn't drop the whole thing.

"I don't know..." Kisho started, "how to say thanks...for saving me, I mean." He paused, casting his eyes down at the floor. "Thank you, I guess is all I should say, but...well..." Kisho shook his head. "That seems like it's...not enough."

"It's fine," Allen said. "It's not like you haven't done anything to help."

"How long will you stay here?" Kisho wondered. Allen crossed his arms and glanced at the ceiling.

"I'm leaving soon. I'll probably see Lavi and you back at the Main Branch sometime." Allen stood and stretched his arms, then turned to leave. "I need to get ready. Toma and I are leaving on a mission soon."

"Well, goodbye, then..." Kisho said, trailing off for a moment. "And see you later."

Allen met Lavi and Bak in the cafeteria after getting his food and discovered that Lavi was constantly yawning as he tried to eat a chicken sandwich.

"I've been sleeping too long," Lavi commented sleepily with a hint of annoyance. "I'm getting lazy." Bak held up his hands.

"It hasn't been that long since you got back," Allen reminded him, taking a seat across from his friend. Lavi watched as Allen started to eat away at his large meal which included his favorite food, dumplings. "Just a week and a half now," Allen mumbled around a full mouth. Lavi sighed and shook his head.

"It feels longer. I've rested enough." He narrowed his eyes in pretend annoyance. "When I need rest, things get busy. But when I'm ready for missions, there aren't any." Bak approached suddenly, and chuckled lowly when he caught the end of the conversation. Lavi glowered at him. "What?" Bak smirked. "Lenalee's gone back to the Main Branch already," Lavi said, catching Bak's eye meaningfully, causing the him to redden and look away, "and Allen's going on a mission too."

"We'll see you back at the Main Branch later," Allen said with a shrug.

"If you want a mission, Lavi," Bak told the redhead, "then you're in luck." The redhead immediately perked up.

"Yeah?" He asked eagerly. Bak nodded, giving Lavi an amused glance.

"Yes. Komui wants you and Kisho to return as soon as you can, but he has a few missions for you along the way. One is in Korea, and the other just inside Russia's border. Afterward, you'll be able to go right back to the Main Branch." Lavi cracked his knuckles, a grin of anticipation on his face.

"So, when should we head out?"

"Tomorrow," Bak answered. "Be sure to get enough rest."

"Great," Lavi said, a glint of eagerness in his sharp green eyes. "I need to get some exercise."

"During the missions, don't let Kisho fight any Akuma," Bak cautioned suddenly, and Lavi's eyes darkened seriously. "If he does, it will be dangerous for both of you. The concentration of Innocence in his blood is too low to let him fight anymore."

"I'll tell him," Lavi said, then yawned and stretched his arms up over his head. Allen's mouth stretched open in a yawn a second later and he shook his head a couple times.

"It's contagious," he muttered sleepily, then added sarcastically, "Thanks, Lavi."

"Anytime," Lavi said, standing up with his tray, which was now empty. "We'll beat you back to the Main Branch."

"You're on," Allen shot back with a smirk. "But I wouldn't bet against me if I were you."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Lavi woke feeling rested and eager to get going. He sat up, then jumped out of bed and moved over towards Kisho to shake him awake.<p>

"What's going on?" Kisho mumbled wearily, yawning as Lavi ushered him out of bed. Lavi caught Kisho just in time when his legs shook and almost collapsed.

"Just get ready. We're going on a couple missions and then back to the Main Branch." Kisho was wearing a green Chinese buttoned shirt and black pants, and he sleepily pulled his new Finder cloak from the headboard and slipped it over his clothes. The old cloak had been tattered beyond repair, and had already been worn, so Bak had gotten another one for him to use, and Kisho hoped he wouldn't have to keep getting new ones. The one he had now looked like it wasn't brand-new, so at least Bak hadn't had to find a completely new one. There were probably spare Finder cloaks since it was easier to make those than exorcist uniforms, which were made differently for each exorcist. Lavi huffed impatiently as Kisho, half-asleep, slowly picked up the cloak. Kisho lifted it over his head and pulled it down, and tried to pull his head through the sleeves a couple times, but he eventually woke up a little more and put it on correctly. Finally Kisho grabbed his shoulder bag and slung it on, which had been restocked with a few supplies by Bak, and looked over at Lavi.

"Thought you were making a career of it," Lavi said, grabbed Kisho by the scruff of his neck, and gave him a little push forward.

"Hang on. Where exactly are we going?" Lavi tapped Kisho on the head with a black booklet; Kisho raised his arms to grasp it and sifted through the pages a slowly while he walked, and found a map on the second page after reading the mission explanation. The first page detailed the mission in the southern part of Korea, and the second page detailed the return mission to Russia. Kisho felt a sudden jolt of something that he decided was homesickness when he read the second page, but he put the feeling aside for now and flipped to the page with the map.

"Korea's part of the war happening now. Things could be bad where we're going."

"The Earl could be there, but if he's not, he's off planning somewhere," Lavi stated darkly.

"There isn't any fighting now, actually," Kisho explained, feeling more hopeful, having just found that information in the book. "There's a temporary truce."

"Bak said if the fighting starts up again we should just find somewhere safe to hide out." Lavi's stomach growled loudly and he clenched it with a grimace. "Let's get some food to take with us," he said, and Kisho followed him to the cafeteria and the two waited while they got lunchboxes. After that Lavi set off quickly and Kisho jogged to catch up. "Bak told me something you should hear."

"Alright," Kisho said. "What is it?" An uneasy feeling settled around his stomach as Lavi answered.

"Hyun-Ae is in Korea now. She lives in a city Gyeongseong. That's where the Innocence was detected." Kisho stiffened and shot a look towards Lavi, but the exorcist didn't say anything. "I don't know if we'll meet her, but if we see her, Bak said it's better to stay away."

"Fine with me." Kisho nodded and stuffed the mission booklet into his bag. "Ready when you are," he told Lavi, and received a nod in return. These missions wouldn't be the longest ones ever, but Lavi and Kisho both had a strange, uneasy feeling about them. Along the way out of the Asia Branch, Kisho didn't say anything. For once Lavi didn't make any jokes about the go-nowhere relationship Kisho had with Hyun-Ae, since he knew the Finder would just deny it—plus the mention of Hyun-Ae always seemed to put him in a sour mood. Kisho still denied he had any relationship with the Korean woman at all. He'd never been fond of her ever since she'd used his blood to kill the Tease inside her body. If Lavi didn't know better he'd say that Kisho was scared of Hyun-Ae, or at least had a strong wariness of her. The trip to the train station seemed to go by quickly, and Kisho was checking a map in the booklet as the train station came into view when Lavi spoke up.

"Do you like her?" Lavi asked, genuinely curious, and Kisho was silent for a while.

"I don't know. So maybe that's why..." Kisho sighed. "Never mind," he muttered. "Sorry. It's not a good time to think about that, anyway."

"Why not?" Lavi questioned slyly.

"Because of the mission. It's not important compared to that." Lavi raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"Glad you're paying attention," he said, knowing that they were close to where they needed to be, and Kisho realized that he'd been distracted; he pulled the booklet out of his bag and looked at it. "Don't worry. I can hear a train coming now." With a sigh Kisho returned the booklet and sat down on a nearby bench, then glanced over to the train which was off in the distance. He shivered a little and wrapped his arms around himself, then pulled the hood of his cloak over his head again as a short blast of wind blew it off. Lavi had pulled his hood up, too, and was hunched over slightly against the chilly gale.

"Will I...scare people?" Kisho muttered a moment later to Lavi, standing up as the train pulled into the station, the brakes whistling piercingly as it ground to a halt. Lavi glanced around and shrugged lightly. "I look weird."

"Some people have been looking at you," Lavi stated, "but none have really paid attention so far. If they're bothered, they'll probably just stay away." Kisho sighed and stepped onto the train, deciding to keep his hood up. Most of the Finders did, anyway, and since it was the middle of winter he doubted most would see his behavior as suspicious. If he was lucky, maybe people would also think the medical cap he was wearing was just a winter hat. Lavi slid a compartment door open once on the train and plopped down on the cushioned seat while Kisho took a seat to the left of the door. He gazed out the window for the first hour or so of the ride, but eventually began to lighten up and enjoy the trip. He and Lavi first ate their food, pork buns and mantou bread, in silence. They'd taken canteens of water with them too, and were glad Bak had told them to take food since, like the booklet said, the trains they would take weren't ones with food onboard. Kisho finished off his bread roll, then glanced over at Lavi and saw that the exorcist was resting his chin on his hand while he watched the scenery go by. He too was just finishing up his food and munched on the last bit absentmindedly. For lack of a better conversation topic, Kisho decided to ask about Lavi's injuries. He hadn't been awake until recently and didn't know much about how his friend was doing. Lavi hadn't talked about it much either; he seemed to be doing fine, but he could be feeling badly and wouldn't say anything about it. He was uncomplaining that way, toughing through things and worrying about his friends more than himself.

"Lavi?" The redhead looked up and over, and let his hand fall into his lap. "If your injuries are bothering you, then we can rest some more when we get to Korea."

"I'll let you know," Lavi said promptly, shaking his head once. "Why did you ask?" He questioned, frowning. "You should worry about yourself."

"I'm fine," the Finder replied, pressing both hands gently to his left side, which was still wrapped with bandages under all his clothes. "Even this." He touched his head. "I just have to wear this hat for a while."

"How'd you get those injuries?" Lavi asked curiously, narrowing his eyes. He had asked Bak the same question, as had Allen, but neither of them had gotten an explanation.

"I know it didn't happen before the mission," Kisho said with a small head shake. "It had to have happened after that."

"I didn't ask when it happened. I asked how."

"I don't know how," the Finder responded at length, pursing his lips in a frown as he tried to remember. "I'm getting better...I don't think it matters." He gave a deep sigh. "But it's strange."

"No kidding," Lavi chuckled, then smiled halfway, searching Kisho's face for a hint of anything that meant he remembered what had happened. "But so are you."

"Oh, thanks," Kisho said, recognizing the joking tone in Lavi's voice. "Is that bad?"

"Nah, don't think so." Lavi leaned back in his seat. "Strange doesn't have to be bad." Kisho smiled briefly and then laughed. Glancing out the window, Lavi noticed that the train was slowing as it pulled into a city.

"Lavi..." Kisho said in a quiet, faraway tone; Lavi glanced over at him and stood up quickly. The Finder's eyes were distant. "We should find Hyun-Ae after all."

"We have other things to do," Lavi reminded Kisho, but the younger person shook his head softly, looking like he'd suddenly woken up.

"Something tells me we need to find her, but I...don't know what...or why." Kisho rose slowly to his feet and stumbled forward a bit when the train jerked to a halt. Lavi stood and reached out to steady him but Kisho headed silently to the compartment door and slid it open, stepping out into the hall without explanation. Lavi moved into the hall as well, and quickly caught up to Kisho, tugging on the back of his cloak to try and stop him.

"You can sense her?" Lavi asked dubiously, knowing that shouldn't be possible anymore.

"Well...it's just a feeling." Lavi gestured for Kisho to turn around and he did; the steps off of the train were coming up. Kisho stepped off onto the platform and Lavi followed closely behind, then pulled Kisho aside to sit on a nearby bench.

"Will you be able to find her?" Kisho nodded, and Lavi frowned for a moment before standing up and gesturing for him to do the same. "Let's go; the sooner we can head to the Main Branch, the better." Lavi pulled his coat tighter and wound his scarf around his neck; it was chilly today and he saw townspeople bundled up as well. Kisho rubbed his hands together to warm them despite having gloves on. Lavi had shoved his hands in his pockets and his teeth were chattering slightly. "Hope we find her soon," he mumbled, shivering. Kisho glanced around at the people walking around, not seeing anyone that even looked similar to Hyun-Ae. Eventually he stopped trying to study the faces of young women who walked by; they noticed his stares and it didn't take Kisho long to realize that he must look like he was staring at places he shouldn't be.

"Hyun-Ae was coming back here to live with her family again," Kisho explained to Lavi. "She stayed at the Main Branch longer than she had to, and the Asia Branch, too." He looked at Lavi, as if wanting an answer, then exhaled uneasily. "But...it's like she didn't really want to go back."

"Well," Lavi said at length, crossing his arms, "if she just found the Innocence, we can take it and leave. But if she has " Kisho stopped without warning and took a long glance over at a large house that took up a large portion of the city block it was in, and despite appearing slightly faded and beaten with age, it looked like the paper covering the windows had been replaced with clean white paper and the outside had been washed recently. The roof was gently sloped downward, and had triangular parts of roof sticking up in places, reminding Kisho of an attic. But he didn't know if Korean-style houses had attics. He'd seen attics sticking up on houses but they hadn't been in Korea. And the material used to make the roofs in Korea was different. Rounded rows of dark grey tiles made up the roof. Lavi walked up beside Kisho and stopped, also studying the house with interest. He got a look at the house and studied it with raised eyebrows.

"Nice place," he noted. "Looks like they're nobles." Lavi nudged Kisho, prompting him to say something. "Is this where we should look?" Kisho seemed faintly confused and didn't answer right away.

"I think she's here, but I'm not sure." He gave Lavi a troubled glance. "Can we ask?"

"Sure," Lavi agreed, though a bit reluctantly, and Kisho wondered if the family here would be angry if two strangers bothered them. But Lavi suddenly pushed Kisho towards the house before moving towards it himself. "Come on," Lavi encouraged the uneasy Kisho with a small grin, his own previous hesitation now gone. The two people approached the house and stepped towards what they assumed was the front door. Kisho wrung his hands and then reached up to grab Lavi's right arm.

"Uh, wait...I can't talk to them. I don't know Korean." Lavi ruffled Kisho's hair and winked his right eye.

"I do. Leave it to me." Kisho released Lavi's arm and fidgeted nervously despite having been told to relax. Lavi took a breath and called out what sounded like a greeting, though Kisho had no idea, not speaking even a little bit of Korean. After a few minutes of Lavi waiting casually and Kisho waiting anxiously, a young man with short black hair appeared and frowned curiously at the duo before speaking. He wore a gold robe, the top having half-cut sleeves, with blue sleeves showing from beneath them, and a robe bottom that matched the gold top. Kisho felt shown up just by looking at him, especially in the outfit he was wearing, but Lavi didn't seem to be focusing on what he was wearing. He gave a polite nod to the man and started talking again. Kisho thought he heard Hyun-Ae's name a couple times, but it was too hard to catch anything else. Korean sounded kind of musical, and too fast for Kisho to pick up single words, though he couldn't understand it anyway. The young man in the doorway crossed his arms and looked at Lavi sternly, then at Kisho with the same expression and spoke harshly, causing him to wonder if this had really been a bad idea. But Lavi still didn't seem affected; he turned to Kisho and translated.

"He wants to know what you want to Hyun-Ae for." Suddenly Lavi's level expression became faintly troubled. "He says that she's his wife." Kisho's eyes widened and he gaped at Lavi, who quickly shook his head. Closing his mouth and trying to act normally, Kisho looked from Lavi to the young man.

"We're old friends," he told the man slowly, trying not to look or sound suspicious. "I just want to see how she's doing. Someone in town told us that she lived around here." Lavi nodded quickly once at Kisho, then carefully explained, then listened to the young man's reply. They spoke for a minute more, and Kisho heard his name said a few times. He jumped when the person abruptly turned and left. "Where's he going?" Kisho hissed to Lavi, unable to keep quiet. "What did he say? Is he coming back?" Lavi rubbed his forehead a couple times and crossed his arms, thinking.

"I think he knows we're from the Black Order, and I think he knows that you met Hyun-Ae there."

"She couldn't have told him that," Kisho disagreed, and Lavi crossed his arms in thought. "She was supposed to forget."

"Maybe the people are here know," Lavi theorized slowly, "or maybe he knew because one of the Generals told him."

"Try not to make this guy mad," Lavi cautioned, grinning tensely. "I can tell that guy doesn't like us much. But he said he'd tell Hyun-Ae we were here."

"Thanks for talking to him," Kisho sighed, then glowered in the direction that the young man had vanished. Lavi noticed the glare, and rolled his eyes towards the sky, hoping they could settle everything without getting into a fight. He quickly got Kisho's attention.

"From now on, don't talk, even if he won't understand you. Let me take care of it." Lavi put both of his hands on Kisho's shoulders and tightened his grip. "Alright?" Kisho nodded stiffly but didn't say anything back. His mind was an angry, disbelieving haze of what he'd just heard.

_Married! She's married! To that guy... _Unexpectedly Kisho felt a burning feeling in his chest but couldn't name it; he was angry, but it was different than just that. Kisho clenched his fists, then crossed his arms and forced his anger down. "I don't like him," he muttered darkly. A couple minutes later, neither the man nor Hyun-Ae had made an appearance. Just as Kisho was about to ask how far they'd get if they snuck in, the two suddenly heard footsteps thumping lightly down the hall to them and a moment later Hyun-Ae was studying them from the doorway of the large house. Lavi didn't move as Kisho approached her quickly and got a good look at her; she was wearing a long pink coat that covered most of the deep red skirt that reached to the floor. She gave Kisho a long, hard look, and smiled faintly; it didn't appear to be a nice smile, but Kisho felt his heart speed a little just the same.

"You're an 'old friend', are you?" She asked briskly, and suddenly her eyes darkened. Lavi and Kisho exchanged glances. "I don't remember being friends. Tell me what you want and get out of here."

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><p><strong>Man...I worked on this chapter a lot, but it still feels like a train wreck. x3 I don't know. Some chapters are difficult to write even after editing a million times, maybe that's all it was. Hope you all liked it. I'm glad that you're all reading this and putting up with my crazy ideas. :) It's been long, I know. So onto the next chapter, which I hope I won't feel so nervous about.<strong>

**Happy Holidays again! I can't believe it's November already! One of my neighbors has already put up Christmas lights. Anyone else feel like the year's flown by? I was busy with classes and Halloween snuck up on me, but I made candy for my friends I watched the Monsters and Aliens Halloween special, which stars the amazing Hugh Laurie, and now it's going to be Thanksgiving soon, at least in America. Canada had Thanksgiving all the way back in October. That seems like an age ago now...phew!**


	8. Live

**I haven't worked on this story for a while. Feels good to get back to it.**

**I don't own D. Gray Man or the characters. Katsura Hoshino does. I'm just practicing my writing and creative skills. It's been fun to write it.**

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><p><strong>Live<strong>

"We had to see you," Kisho told her quickly, hoping she'd understand, though they weren't on the best terms with each other. "We're on a mission, and we came to find an Innocence. Have you heard about or seen it?" Hyun-Ae frowned confusedly, then widened her eyes; Kisho thought he heard a little gasp escape her mouth, but in a second the woman had regained her steely composure.

"So, have you?" Lavi asked Hyun-Ae while nudging Kisho. "He found you. Do you have the Innocence?"

"If I did, what would you do to make me come with you?" Lavi narrowed his eyes at Hyun-Ae, as if studying her to see if she was being difficult or just testing them, then sighed and stared at a faint ring of marks around her neck.

"How did that happen?" He asked softly, and Hyun-Ae shook her head. Kisho looked closer at the marks and ground his teeth.

"Those are bruises," he said, realizing Lavi was right. "And on your face, too..." Hyun-Ae cast them a look of indifference. "What happened?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm...worried," Kisho admitted reluctantly. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing that is any of your business," Hyun-Ae told him, tossing her head slightly in annoyance. "How do you know I have an Innocence at all?"

"I don't know, really...I can't sense it." Kisho answered, and Lavi glanced at him in surprise.

"I thought you could," he said, taken aback, and Kisho shook his head desperately.

"No. I only came here because I think something about Hyun-Ae was pulling me here."

"Maybe that's the Innocence," Lavi said, glancing at her, perplexed.

"If you have one," Kisho told her softly, "then you have to come with us."

"Aren't you special," Hyun-Ae said tersely. "I don't see why I have to come." Lavi stepped up, seeing that Kisho wasn't handling the situation very well. Hyun-Ae was verbally whipping him.

"Were you attacked?" Lavi questioned. "You could be protected if you came with us."

"This is my home and my family." Hyun-Ae now gave Kisho a full glare. "And I don't want to come back." Kisho's mouth had dropped open after Lavi had spoken.

"Who did it?" Kisho asked, feeling a little dazed, but was becoming outraged. "That man from before? Your...husband?"

"Are you just mad at him because you're jealous?" Hyun-Ae accused. "You're not worried about me." Kisho clenched his fists, then let them open and let them fall to his sides.

"I guess I am jealous," Kisho admitted and Lavi lifted his gaze towards the sky. "I don't think I've felt that way before." He met Hyun-Ae's gaze steadily, heart pounding. "But I am worried. It's not right that he's doing that to you."

"What do you want to do about it?" Hyun-Ae questioned lazily, turning away as if she were going to head back inside.

"I want to keep you safe." Hyun-Ae and Lavi both stared at Kisho. "I know he's hurting you..." He explained further, uneasy at being watched, but his voice was determined, "and I can't let that go. I can't walk away after finding something like that out."

"That's a nice thing to say," Hyun-Ae chuckled lightly, smiling craftily at Kisho, "but again, why do you care about what happens to me?"

"Because...because..." Kisho stammered a little and Hyun-Ae sighed and shook her head at him, then turned to go back inside. "I'm glad to see you," he finally blurted, and Hyun-Ae stopped. "I thought I'd never see you again. Just now I knew I wanted to see you. I missed you. And I wanted to say I was sorry for how I've treated you." Hyun-Ae turned and was looking at him with a peculiar smile on her face. "But I was scared of the way you acted towards me."

"How far did you guys go?" Lavi muttered; Kisho heard and his face burned.

"Not that far," Hyun-Ae told him, making Kisho want to cover his face with both hands, but he somehow just kept looking at Hyun-Ae.

"You shouldn't stay here," Kisho said desperately, then took a breath and spoke more calmly. "I can't make you come, and I don't want to force you, but please...you don't deserve to be treated that way."

"How would you treat me?" Hyun-Ae questioned curiously, and Kisho's face turned a deeper red.

"I don't know..." He answered, feeling embarrassed, and heard her laugh. Kisho glanced up and saw her looking sympathetically at him. "But not like that. I couldn't."

"I wonder." Hyun-Ae gazed at him for a moment, thinking. "You should go back," she told him. "I'm not coming. Don't you just need me for the Innocence?" Kisho felt like he'd been hit in the stomach and he couldn't find anything to say. He just shook his head.

"I can't give the Innocence to you, even if I wanted to, anyway." Lavi heard footsteps thudding down the hall towards them and stiffened.

"Guess who's back," he said, and the young man appeared in the doorway, looking annoyed. He shot a glare at Lavi and Kisho and growled something.

"You should go," Hyun-Ae told Kisho urgently, her expression strained, and Lavi nodded quickly.

"She's right. He's angry; we won't get anything done now."

"I can't leave her," Kisho said firmly, and walked into the house to stand between Hyun-Ae and the young man. Without a word he stared straight at him. He felt a little push on his back and heard an angry hiss.

"I told you to get out of here," Hyun-Ae said urgently, a sharp tone to her voice.

"I'm not going until you come too. I said I don't want to leave you here now that I know." Kisho turned briefly to look up at Hyun-Ae; even after his height had increased a bit, she was still taller by a couple inches. That was true of pretty much everyone Kisho knew, even Bak, who wasn't happy about the fact that even though he was thirty-two years old, Allen—who was seventeen—was a lot taller than him. Kisho looked back at the man and felt a little surge of anger; it must have shown on his face, for the young man suddenly looked furious and before Kisho knew what had happened he felt a powerful strike on the right side of his face. He staggered backward a few steps but stopped before he bumped into Hyun-Ae.

"Kisho," Lavi hissed sharply, "He's not an Akuma. We can't fight him."

"You don't have to," Kisho grunted, wincing as he felt his face start to throb. He forced himself to stay on his feet and grappled for Hyun-Ae's hand. He felt both of her hands clasp his left and squeeze it tightly, warningly.

"Tae-Yul let me come out to see you," she muttered, "but he wants you to leave, and you should. He thinks you want to take me with you."

"Then he's smarter than he looks," Kisho stated. "Because that is what I want." Hyun-Ae tossed his hand away and gave Kisho a powerful shove; he stumbled sideways and almost toppled over.

"Go away!" She yelled fiercely, and Kisho turned just in time to see her hand coming for him and a second later he felt a sharp strike to his right cheek, where he'd been punched moments earlier. Then he saw Tae-Yul approach Hyun-Ae and slap her sharply across the face. Lavi moved forward as the young man raised his hand again. Kisho jumped to his feet and rushed Tae-Hyun, and flicked a knife to his throat once he was close enough. Tae-Yul froze and watched Kisho slowly close the gap between them and fix the older man with a murderous glare. Lavi and Hyun-Ae watched with wide eyes, but Lavi snapped out of his surprise first and held up his hands.

"Kisho, stop. If you do anything to him, Komui will have to know. I'll have to say something." Lavi's pulse was racing but he felt strangely calm. "If you kill him, you're the one who will be punished, even if you were defending someone." The exorcist shook his head furiously, fervently hoping that Kisho wouldn't make the move and draw the knife across Tae-Yul's throat. "Don't kill him. You don't want to, I swear you don't." Kisho pulled the knife away slightly and his expression suddenly looked stunned as he gazed at Tae-Yul, almost as if he hadn't known what he'd been doing. "Good. Just put it down." Kisho held Tae-Yul at bay with the knife, but backed off, and saw relief pass through the man's panicked eyes as he lowered the weapon. Kisho pulled up his cloak just enough to slide the knife back into the sheath pouch on his right leg.

_I don't even remember pulling it out... _Kisho glared at Tae-Yul and approached him; he was surprised to see the man take an automatic step back, fear and wariness in his eyes. "Don't ever touch her again." Lavi put his arm carefully around Hyun-Ae's shoulders and led her a few feet away from the house. Tae-Yul ignored Kisho and began to follow them, but Kisho intercepted him and shook his head once. Tae-Yul stopped and glowered at him, but faltered when he saw the threatening look in Kisho's eyes. "If I find out that you have," Kisho stated darkly, feeling an anger he never knew he'd had, "then I'll find you." Lavi sighed, then told Tae-Yul something Kisho couldn't catch.

"Let's get going, Kikun...we'll just get in trouble if we stay here now." Kisho glanced at Lavi, then back at Tae-Yul, who was standing completely still as he stared at Lavi. He didn't follow when the three people hurried off, and Kisho moved up onto Hyun-Ae's right. She jumped a little and looked at him when he gently touched her arm.

"Sorry," he said with a gasp. "Are you alright?"

"Fine..." Hyun-Ae mumbled darkly. "I just can't believe what you did." Kisho pulled his arm away and shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what made me do that. But...no, I do know. I was angry." Lavi gave him a peculiar look as he glanced over his shoulder.

"We got that. But don't do it again." He gave a heavy sigh. "I thought you were going to kill that guy..."

"I thought I was too, for a while," Kisho confessed, then swallowed and started walking faster, noticing that Lavi had picked up the face. "What did you say to him, Lavi?" The exorcist gave Kisho a sharp glare, then shrugged and sighed again.

"I just repeated what you said," he explained. "I wouldn't recommend actually doing it, though. I think he got the point."

"Wait a minute," Hyun-Ae said, stopping abruptly as a couple people passing by gave her startled glances. She waved at them and smiled, and they returned the gesture and continued on without a backward look. "I have to change my clothes." She started pulling at the overcoat she wore and Kisho grabbed her wrist and ushered her over into a secluded alleyway Lavi had seen earlier while they'd been searching for her.

"Not in public," Kisho told her anxiously as Hyun-Ae smiled coyly at him. Kisho felt his face getting hot and he turned, holding his right hand to his forehead in embarrassment. Lavi had followed the instant Kisho had led Hyun-Ae to the alley and now was looking at Kisho knowingly, which made him even more uncomfortable, because he knew exactly how he felt about Hyun-Ae, no matter how much he tried to deny it or change the subject.

"It's just an overcoat," Kisho heard Hyun-Ae say, sounding as if she were laughing. "It's winter here, too, you know. Not in Australia, though."

"What will you wear after this, though?" Kisho asked. "And why do you have to change clothes?"

"Give me your cloak," Hyun-Ae said in an ordering tone. "I want to change clothes because people will recognize if I'm leaving without Tae-Yul." Kisho felt something hit him in the back and he reached behind him to grip it and realized it felt like fabric. He bundled the item delicately in his arms, knowing that it was probably expensive, more expensive than anything he'd even heard of, and pulled off his Finder cloak. "You can turn around." Warily, Kisho did, and saw that Hyun-Ae was wearing a dark blue shirt with dark red knotted buttons down the left side, and a light pink sash trailed down her outfit halfway. "People will still be able to tell that I'm a noble, but they won't ask questions right away, and when they do we'll be gone.

"Here," Kisho said quickly, approaching Hyun-Ae and handing the brown cloak to her. "It should be just long enough. And it's pretty warm." Hyun-Ae pulled it on and it just barely reached her feet, while when Kisho wore it, it covered his feet, but not enough to make him trip. It was a variation of the usual uniform that was used in summer. Komui had made new Finder uniforms, as well as new Exorcist uniforms that were more season-appropriate. The summer Finder and Exorcist uniforms didn't have hoods or long sleeves, unless they were requested, and the pants of the Exorcist uniforms were only half-length, and the Finder cloaks were shorter as well. But winter uniforms were long to help the wearer keep warm. Kisho was glad for the hood of his cloak, though noticed that Lavi wasn't using his at the moment. Maybe he had more of a tolerance for cold. Kisho started to shiver slightly but tried not to mention it. "Is it warm enough?" He asked awkwardly, and Hyun-Ae nodded, smoothing out the wrinkled material.

"I don't know how you wear this," she said with a frown. "It's old...and dirty."

"You don't have to wear it forever," Lavi said. "Just until we're out of here." He smirked at Kisho. "In the meantime, why don't you wear that?" He gestured to the pink overcoat, and Kisho winced and looked gingerly at Lavi.

"Um...really?"

"Unless you want to freeze." Kisho looked down at the coat, seeing his point, but he eventually decided not to wear it. He knew he was a little dirty, but even if he'd been clean, he didn't want to get the coat dirty. He didn't know how the article of clothing could be washed without being damaged. It felt like it was made of a soft, but somewhat thick, material that looked too fancy to really be good for anything.

_I'm dirty...I don't want to wear this and mess it up.._

"You're going to catch a cold," Lavi sighed, but still Kisho refused. "Kisho, if you get sick when we're not even halfway back, we'll take even longer. Just put it on." Kisho cringed, then pulled the coat over his head and slipped it on easily. "It looks good on you," he heard Lavi say.

"I'll take your word for it," Kisho mumbled, and the three set off again after Hyun-Ae checked to make sure no one was out in the streets looking for her. Kisho absently clenched his right fist, still feeling the knife he'd threatened Tae-Yul with earlier.

"I'll tell Komui what I did..." Kisho said, as he was starting to feel guilt and shock at almost killing someone. He knew, though, that he'd probably try it again if he saw Tae-Yul, which bothered him.

"If you want." Lavi shrugged his shoulders. "You scared him, most of all." But Kisho noticed that Lavi was uneasy, and wasn't meeting his eyes, as if something big was on his mind that he didn't want to speak about at the moment. Kisho let out a breath and turned to Hyun-Ae.

"Do you...want to come with us?" He asked, pretending to give her an uninterested suggestion.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Hyun-Ae replied cagily, frowning at him.

"You have a choice," Lavi muttered. "You could just give us the Innocence and we can take you wherever you want to go after that." Kisho glanced over at Lavi, then switched his gaze to Hyun-Ae; she was gripping her right arm tightly and biting her lip. Lavi noticed too and studied her closely. "Unless you can't, for some reason," Lavi said, arms crossed observantly.

"I can't hand it over easily," Hyun-Ae said with a sigh, and at the train station she took a seat on a nearby bench. "I'm not an Accommodator, but the Innocence is inside my body."

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><p><strong>I think Lavi is smart enough to learn a couple languages fluently; according to Hoshino, Lavi is the smartest, followed by Lenalee, I think, then Kanda and Allen. Or maybe it was Allen and Kanda. They all seem smart to me, though.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! Have a great new year!**


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